


Mountaintop

by Jakobre_the_Writer



Series: Bikers and Bartenders [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:48:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 40,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28315548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jakobre_the_Writer/pseuds/Jakobre_the_Writer
Summary: Blake Belladonna had already suffered enough delays on her road trip across the continent of Anima. The last thing she needed was to get lost in the mountains, but here she was. Maybe the friendly blonde haired barkeep could help get her back on track.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Series: Bikers and Bartenders [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2073771
Comments: 92
Kudos: 131





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A brand new AU!  
> Panic attack reference in this chapter.

_ Wake up, you lazy slut. _

"Get away!" Blake screamed, bolting upright in bed and flinging her covers aside. She looked around wildly, breathing heavily, eyes raking across the room she was in. It was small, just a bed, a tv, and a bathroom, the same motel room that she had booked the day before. She let out a long, low breath, a paltry attempt to slow her pounding heart. 

Dammit. It had been months since she'd last seen Adam, since he'd been arrested, but she still couldn't go a single night without his poison in her dreams.

Blake ran a hand through her hair and let out a sigh, then glanced at the clock. It was already ten. With a groan she threw her legs out of bed and pushed herself to her feet. She didn't feel very well rested, though that had as much to do with the rock hard bed as her nightmares. It was a long ride to her next stopover, and she didn't fancy sleeping in the open again. 

Within fifteen minutes she was on her way out the door, her duffel bag slung over her shoulders and her knife hanging off her belt. The motel was a tiny thing, barely a handful of rooms and a trailer for an office, but it served its purpose well. Finding anywhere to stay in the mountains separating the kingdoms of Vale and Vacuo was a long shot unless you'd planned a route. Blake had taken weeks to plan out her roadtrip across the continent, and even then she was behind schedule. The Vacuo desert hadn't agreed with her bike. 

She couldn't keep a smile off her face as she saw the garish paint job on her bike. The thing was painted black with ridiculous purple stripes, though the paint had begun to chip and fade. The bike was a decade old and beginning to show her age, but she rode just fine and always started up right away. It had taken Blake a few days to get used to the long hours of riding to get across the continent, but she had practice already. Her father had let her learn on his bike, back in the day, though he looked much too prim and proper to be teaching his daughter how to ride a motorcycle. It was almost comical, though her mother hadn’t found the idea of her twelve year old daughter taking a ‘rusty deathtrap’ around Kuo Kuana very funny. Blake remembered learning fondly, and besides her father had been right next to her the whole time. She was as safe as could be.

Blake let her duffel bag fall onto her bike, and her memories fell away with it. This was no time to be reminiscing, she had another eight hours of riding to do before nightfall and getting caught up remembering the good old days wasn’t going to get her underway any faster. But she did take the time to lash a small stuffed panther to the side of her bike, patting the plush’s head affectionately. Shroud was her good luck charm, after all. It wouldn’t do to get underway without her.

She popped open the door to the trailer-office and stuck her head in, finding the owner moodily leafing through an old magazine.

“Hey, I’m checking out of room six,” Blake said, tossing her key onto the table that served as a concierge desk.

The owner gave her a once over and nodded slowly. “You paid yesterday, didn’t you?” Blake could smell the alcohol on their breath even from the doorway.

“Sure did,” she answered honestly and the owner grunted before going back to their magazine. Blake waited half a moment in case there was anything else to be said, then shrugged and left. She had a long day ahead of her. With luck the smell of gasoline, burning rubber, and the sensation of the wind in her hair would sweep away the miasma of her nightmares.

Once she was on the open road, roaring up the mountain towards the second half of her journey, Blake felt much better. The wind whipping her hair behind her, what little wasn’t tucked in her helmet, the gorgeous view of the desert below, it was all helping to clear her head. Shroud bounced gently against the side of her bike as they soared higher and higher, towards the crest of the mountain range. From up there, Blake had read that she would be able to see the Emerald Forest, the western coast of vale, even a glint off the city of Vale in the distance. In just a few more minutes, she’d be able to take a break from the ride. She’d grab some photos for her parents, send them over the next time she was somewhere with a signal. They did love to hear about her trip. After that it was only another hour or two to the next motel. Gods, the view would be perfect with the sunset.

The road climbed higher and higher, twisting back and forth as it snaked up the mountain. Blake grinned as she gunned the engine, hauling ass up the road. She was so close to the peak she could almost taste it, so close to beginning the next leg of her journey, so close to-

Wait. 

“Aw, shit,” Blake muttered, bringing her bike to a stop on the side of the road. She glanced around. The road leveled out, just like she had hoped, but she was still in between a pair of much higher peaks. On top of that, the road ahead was blocked by a bright yellow pickup truck with its hood popped open. Someone was leaning into the open hood, swearing loud enough that Blake could hear them clearly even a hundred feet away. Blake sighed and rode towards them, coming to a halt close enough to talk without shouting. Maybe they’d know the way to the main road. “Hey!” 

The person with their head in the truck jumped as if startled, shooting up so quickly that they banged their head on the hood. They swore again and backed away from the truck, rubbing the back of their head, before standing up fully and glancing over at Blake. “Hey yourself.”

Blake had to fight to stop her mouth from dropping open. The woman who had been working on the truck was stunning. Her blonde hair flowed down her back like waves, her lilac eyes sparkled in the falling sun like gems tucked away underground, her muscles flexed with all the strength and beauty of a true adonis, even the way she stood was marvelous, like a hero of ancient times. For a moment Blake thought she wasn’t just staring at a beautiful woman in the road but rather someone she knew...or had known? It was hard to tell, she was just so gorgeous and familiar, like a dream buried in a memory Blake didn’t know she had. 

“Uh, you in there?” the woman asked, waving one hand at Blake and bringing her back to the moment.

“Yeah, I’m here,” Blake said, already feeling a blush of embarrassment flooding her cheeks, “You know the way to the main road?”

“Sure do. You know how to fix an engine?” the woman replied, folding her arms across her chest.

“Are we trading or something?” Blake scoffed and the woman smirked, a smile flashing across her face.

“If that’s what you wanna call it. I need to get my truck back up and running and you need directions back to the main road. Just seems like we might be able to help each other out.”

“Hmm,” Blake hummed softly in thought, “I can take a look. I’m better at fixing bikes, but I’ll see what I can do.” The woman nodded appreciatively and gestured vaguely at her truck. Blake took a step forward when a shock of cold froze her midstep. This could be a trap. The woman could be working with Adam, trying to kidnap her, bring her back to him. Oh gods, she should run. She could find her way back to the main road on h-

Blake forced herself to keep walking, using the solid step forwards to shake the thoughts away. This woman wasn’t working with Adam, he was in jail and he never had any dealings in Vale or Vacuo. Besides, the woman wasn’t even a Faunus, at least not in a way that Blake could tell. She would just fix the woman’s truck, get her directions, and be gone. 

The woman was watching her quizzically as Blake gave the interior a once over. The problem, as far as she could tell, had nothing directly to do with the engine. The sheer heat was enough of an indicator of that. Still, Blake had to be sure. She spent the next half hour going over the truck as thoroughly, and quickly, as she could. She might trust the woman enough to show her back and fix her truck, but that didn’t mean she wanted to spend all night doing it. She had a schedule to keep. 

“She’s just overheated,” Blake said with a shrug as she stepped back, “Give her another few hours, she’ll be back up and running. You should get her looked at properly.”

“Another few hours?” the woman muttered and sighed, shaking her head.

“Yeah. Why, you got somewhere to be?”

“My bar,” the woman said, “I’m supposed to open up in an hour.”

Blake looked around them slowly, taking in the mountain peaks and the open desert far below. It sure looked like the absolute last place that she would want to set up a bar. Even the road looked abandoned. “You have a bar up here?”

“Sure do. Most people come from the next town over, it’s another two hours that way,” the woman said, pointing down the road. “I’m just glad I’m not hauling anything perishable today.”

“You need a ride?” Blake asked, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. She barely knew the woman and she was offering to give her a ride back to her bar? Sometimes, Blake swore that her mouth had a mind of its own. 

The woman laughed softly, a smile playing on the edges of her lips. “I’ll owe you more than directions for that.”

“Well, let’s start with a name,” Blake said, forcing a cheerful tone. This was another setback in a trip laden with setbacks, but if she didn’t help the woman she knew that she’d regret it. “I’m Blake.”

“Yang. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the woman named Yang said, extending a hand to be shaken. Blake took it and the two shook firmly. Yang had a strong grip, something that Blake immediately appreciated. “Thanks for this.”

“It’s no problem,” Blake said with a shrug, even though it certainly  _ felt _ like a problem. She gestured at Yang’s truck and said, “Should we move her? She’s kinda blocking the road.”

“Nah, nobody comes up this way unless they take a left at the last fork,” Yang said, waving away the concern. She glanced down at Blake with a small smirk. “Sound familiar?”

Blake groaned and rubbed one hand against her face. She knew exactly the fork in the road that Yang was talking about, and it was another two and a half hours back the way she had come. “You said there’s a town nearby?”

“Just down the road a ways from my bar. You can get back on the main road if you drive right through it.”

“Perfect.”

As they approached Blake’s bike, Yang laughed softly. “Cute cat.”

Blake’s eyes shot to where Shroud hung off her bike’s chassis, the plush panther turning in the wind as if to get a look at Yang. “Hey, that’s my good luck charm. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without her.” Yang laughed again, though it was gentle and understanding, not the cruel laughter that Blake was familiar with when she talked about Shroud. The little stuffed cat had seen her through some nasty years, and with luck would see her through many more good ones.

The two climbed onto Blake’s bike, and as Blake fastened her helmet, Yang cleared her throat awkwardly. Blake looked back to find the blonde holding out her arms uncertainly. “You mind if I...uh…” She timidly gestured with her arms as though to wrap them around Blake’s waist for security. 

“Go ahead,” Blake said with a shrug and turned back before Yang could see the fierce blush that had spread across her face. Blake cursed herself for the lance of nervous attraction that pierced her heart as Yang held tight to her waist, her fingers interlocking across Blake’s stomach. It wasn’t Blake’s fault that Yang was the single most beautiful woman she had ever seen. “You ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Yang called back and Blake gave her a thumbs up before starting up her bike. Soon they were screaming down the road, literally in Yang’s case, as the bike hurtled them towards their next destination. As Yang’s truck vanished in Blake’s mirror, she reflected that she was almost certainly going to lose tomorrow too. They’d have to come back for the truck in the morning. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At Yang's bar, Blake gets a nice cold drink and a warm feeling of fondness for our favorite blonde bartender.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alcohol mention in this chapter. There will be lots of alcohol throughout, so if that's not your bag, steer clear. Be careful everyone!

Yang’s bar was what Blake would politely call rustic. She might have impolitely called it a bit run down and in the middle of nowhere, but the place did have a certain charm to it. It was a vision of country simplicity, that fit right at home in the temperate mountain range that separated Vacuo and Vale. It was a two story affair with a small porch and a single bay garage. The door was beautiful, probably the most expensive part of the building, and was emblazoned with a burning heart. 

“You can put your bike in the garage. I’m not using it tonight,” Yang said, gesturing towards the small outbuilding. Blake nodded and slowly rode over there, cutting the engine once her bike was nicely tucked away. The garage was big enough that both the truck and the bike could have fit, but only just. Yang hopped off the bike with a satisfied grunt, grinding her heel into the dirt beneath her feet appreciatively.

“You’ve got a nice place,” Blake said as she slung her helmet over the handlebars and climbed off her bike. 

“Thanks. I like it up here, nice and quiet in the mornings and decent folk from town,” Yang said with a shrug, then glanced over at Blake. She raised an eyebrow as she saw Blake lean her bike onto its kickstand and asked, “You sticking around?”

“You run a bar, don’t you? I could use a drink,” Blake said with a shrug. She was quite thirsty, though whether that was for some ice tea or for more time with Yang she couldn’t quite tell. There was a strange fondness for the blonde deep in her chest, even though they had just met.

Yang smirked and walked out of the garage, waving for Blake to follow her. “I still need to set up for the night, so don’t get too excited.”

“No promises,” Blake said as she walked out after Yang, only to stop when Yang asked,

“You mind getting the garage door? I don’t want anybody snooping around your bike.”

Blake nodded quickly and pulled the garage door down. It fought her for a moment, then released with a hideous squeal that made her flatten her ears against the top of her head with a hiss. After she slammed the door closed, she turned back to see Yang smiling apologetically.

“I should fix that.”

“It’s whatever,” Blake shrugged again, “I thought you said there were decent folk in town?”

“Most of ‘em,” Yang said and her expression hardened just a hair, though it wasn’t directed at Blake but rather beyond her and down the road. Before Blake could ask what she meant, Yang said, “C’mon, let’s get inside.”

The inside of the bar was just as...rustic as the rest of it. It was a small place, just a handful of tables and a bar with a half dozen stools, but it felt nice. It was homely, almost a different place altogether from the mountains outside and the desert beyond them. Blake could have sworn that Yang had taken a piece of a different continent altogether and stitched it into the fabric of the mountain range. On the far side of the bar was a beautiful grandfather clock, the deep ticking setting a wonderful rhythm to the place, and behind the bar was a rack of drinks ready to be mixed, all splayed out in front of a mirror. It took Blake a moment to see it, but the entire room was split down the middle. From the bar opposite the door, to the tables and chairs, the mirror itself, even the floor, there was a clear dividing line, denoted by a slight discoloration on the right hand side. The left hand side was a sandy color and the right was a pale green, though the mirror was more bronze and silver in its coloration.

“What’s that about?” Blake asked, indicating the split when Yang turned.

“Oh, it’s the border between Vacuo and Vale. We’re right on the split, so I thought it’d be cool to show that somehow,” Yang said as she stepped behind the bar. She immediately vanished as she ducked down low, emerging a moment later with a rack of glasses. “What’s your poison?”

“Hard iced tea,” Blake said, sliding into one of the stools. “We’re on the border already?” Yang nodded in affirmation even as she reached below the bar for Blake’s drink. “Damn. I wanted to get to the peak today.”

“It’s not that great,” Yang said as she slid Blake a drink and the bottle opener, “Usually too cloudy to get a good view up there.”

“You’ve been there?”

“Not much else to do out here but drive around.”

“Right,” Blake said dryly, taking her drink when it was offered. She glanced at it, smirking slightly, “Sunflower Pop makes hard iced tea?”

“Sure do,” Yang said with a nod, “I’m not a huge fan of iced tea usually, but this stuff’s pretty good.”

Blake nodded and popped off the cap, slipping it into her pocket on instinct. She took a long sip, letting the cold drink sit for a moment and cool her down. She almost balked at the taste, not because it was bad but rather because it was familiar. Blake drank plenty of Sunflower Pop on her travels, people on Anima drank the stuff like water, but this was different. It was almost like she had been in this situation before, with Yang, drinking a Sunflower Pop and keeping the cap. Blake shook the thought away with a light motion. It was ridiculous after all and this was no time to get caught up in her own head. After taking another sip she smiled up at Yang, who had taken to leaning against the bar. “Thanks.”

“No problem. I still owe you for getting me back here, so that’s on the house,” Yang said, flicking a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

“Don’t worry about it,” Blake protested, but Yang only shook her head firmly.

“I’m gonna worry about it. It’s on the house, so’s everything else you drink tonight.”

Blake sighed and shook her head before taking another sip of her drink. “You have any food? I’m starving.”

“Now you’re pushing it,” Yang teased lightly, the smile on her face letting Blake know that she hadn’t crossed any lines. Yang vanished through a small door behind the bar and Blake could hear her rummaging around.

“How’re you gonna get your truck back?” she asked and Yang took a moment before responding.

“I was gonna walk out there in the morning. Where are you-there!” Suddenly there was the sound of a microwave running. “I’ve got some leftovers, hope that’s okay.”

“That’s fine,” Blake replied, knowing full well it was probably going to be better than anything that she could make on the road. “I can drive you out there tomorrow.”

There was a span of silence, long enough for whatever Yang was reheating to finish. She emerged from the back with a large plate, heaping with what looked like some kind of casserole. It smelled wonderful, all cheesy and drowning in spices. “Leftover turkey extravaganza,” she said as she placed it on the bar, sliding a fork across to Blake. She clutched another one in her hand and took a huge bite. 

Blake tried a small piece for herself. It was by far the best thing she’d eaten in weeks, her mouth suddenly singing with the wonderful symphony of flavors the extravaganza carried with it. “Oh my gods.”

“Good, right?’

“Mmhmm,” Blake grunted before diving back into the plate full force. Yang laughed as she watched, soon joining in herself.

After they had demolished half the plate they came back up for air. “You don’t have to drive me back down. I don’t mind walking,” Yang said and this time it was Blake’s turn to firmly shake her head.

“It’s no trouble. Besides, I gotta see it through, right?” she asked and Yang scoffed lightly, twirling a long strand of cheese around her fork.

“I guess you’ll want someplace to sleep, too.”

“I’d rather not sleep in the garage.”

“Nah, I got a spare room out back,” Yang said, jerking her thumb behind the bar, “My sister stays there when she’s out this way, but it’s empty for now.”

“Thanks,” Blake said before helping herself to more extravaganza, “Your sister, huh?”

“Yeah, my sister Ruby. She likes to come out in summer, it’s cooler up here than back home,” Yang said, leaning against the bar and propping herself up on her elbow. 

“You’re from Vacuo?” 

“Vale, actually.”

“Oh,” Blake said, “What’re you doing up here?” Suddenly she felt as though she had pushed too far, had crossed a line that was only apparent in retrospect, but Yang just shrugged.

“Family stuff. I don’t mind, home was getting too small anyway.” Blake held back saying that if a bar in the middle of nowhere was what Yang considered ‘big’ then she dreaded what her hometown must have been like. But she could relate, in her own way. She loved her parents, but they had been stifling after a few months of living in the same house. Blake had started a cross continental road trip, Yang had bought a bar in the mountains. To each their own, apparently.

Before she could come up with anything to say, the door swung open. She turned to see a huge man with closely shaved hair standing up to his full height, taller than the door. Her muscles tensed and she could feel herself getting ready to run when Yang called out, “Yatsu! How you doing, buddy?”

The man’s expression changed into a small grin, though Blake could tell that it was the equivalent of a beaming smile on anyone else. “S’alright,” he grunted, “I’m on my own tonight, you mind grabbing my usual?”

“Taijitu doulber?” Yang said dryly, and the man named Yatsu nodded curtly before taking a seat a stool away from Blake. As Yang got the drink ready, she asked, “So where’s Fox and the rest of ‘em?”

“Fox is chilling back home and Coco and Velvet are having a date night,” Yatsu said, then turned to look at Blake. “You’re new.”

“Just passing through,” Blake said, keeping her voice as neutral as possible. Part of her wanted to run for the door and the other part wanted to snap at Yatsu and...well Blake didn’t really know what that would accomplish, and so she ignored both of those parts. 

“She saved my ass back down the road,” Yang said, sliding a pair of shot glasses to Yatsu, who caught them with the same effortless efficiency. “So don’t start any trouble, all right?”

“Trouble? Never,” Yatsu said with that same small grin, resting one massive hand on the bar. 

“Yeah, right. You still owe me for that table, and the window,” Yang chided the huge man, whose confidence collapsed immediately. He looked away awkwardly, only to glance up and see that Yang was giving him a joking smile.

“I’m good for it, don’t you worry.”

“I know. Just wish you’d be good for it faster.”

Yatsu laughed softly and threw back both his drinks at once. He placed the glasses back on the bar with a satisfied smack of his lips and slid them back for a refill. 

“You owe Yang money?” Blake asked, interjecting herself back into the conversation. Yatsu nodded ruefully and Yang chuckled as she prepared his next round of drinks.

“He and his buddies were out drinking one night, and one of them got a bit too far gone. She didn’t appreciate him trying to get her home in one piece,” Yang explained.

“It’s not my fault Coco gets punchy when she’s drunk,” Yatsu grumbled, and Blake snickered softly, drawing another smile out of the man. “But that’s in the past. I’m Yatsuhashi.”

“Blake.”

“Pleasure.”

“Likewise.”

“So what are you doing up in these parts?” Yatsu asked and Blake took another sip of her iced tea before responding.

“I’m making my way across the continent, northern tip of Vacuo to the southeast coast of Vale,” she replied and Yatsu let out a low whistle.

“That’s quite a ways. You missed the main road, I assume?” 

“Yeah,” Blake groaned dramatically and Yang smirked from her position leaning on the bar, “But I found Yang, so I guess my luck’s turning around.”

“Don’t say that, it’ll go straight to her head,” Yatsu said and Blake laughed as Yang’s face contorted in mock outrage.

The door swung open and more people came in, enough to fill a pair of tables and a few more spots at the bar. Yang sprung into action, moving with such relentless efficiency that Blake struggled to keep up. It was like watching the mating dances of birds high in the sky above Menagerie, a dazzling display of poetic motion and impossible grace. At least that’s how Blake would describe it, mesmerized as she was with watching Yang work. There was something about the woman’s easy manner, the way she was able to banter with customers while slinging drinks without a care in the world, that put Blake at ease. It was like a soothing cup of tea on a cold evening, relaxing and peaceful. 

She and Yatsu chatted idly as the night went on, though he only stayed for an hour or so. After that, it was a revolving cast of characters in his place, none of which Yang felt the need to greet by name. For how far out it was from town, Blake was amazed by the sheer number of people who came to the bar. It was busy as any other bar she’d been to in Kuo Kuana, though that number was admittedly small and she didn’t like to think about that part of her life much. Still, by the time that Yang had begun to close up shop and shoo people out the door, there had been so many people that Blake had lost count. 

“Busy place,” Blake said, toying with her glass. She hadn't moved from her stool all night, not wanting to lose her spot next to the only familiar face in the room. 

Yang shrugged, “It was pretty busy tonight, wasn’t it? Probably because it was a nice night out, that always gets people in the mood to drive.” She looked over at Blake, who was fighting to stay awake. The clock read two forty five in the morning, and Blake was chasing today with a series of long days and short nights. “C’mon, I’ll show you the room.”

She led Blake around the back of the bar, past some stairs leading to the second floor, and through a small kitchen out a back door. There was a second outbuilding, a tiny shack that looked much nicer than the rest of the bar. Inside was simple, just enough to stay comfortably, but the bed certainly seemed softer than the motel.

“I should’ve got you back here sooner,” Yang said apologetically, “Kinda slipped my mind how late I stay up.”

“It’s fine,” Blake mumbled, making her way to the bed. It was nice and soft, like she’d hoped, and she felt like melting into the forgiving mattress then and there. But something was missing. “Hey, can-can you get something from my bike?”

“Sure, what do you need?” Yang asked softly, a smile playing on the edges of her lips as she watched Blake settle into bed.

“The-the-my-the cat. Shroud,” Blake muttered, a sudden rush of embarrassment flooding her body as she waited for Yang’s answer, the inevitable mockery.

“Okay.” With that Yang slipped out the door and vanished into the night. Blake stared dumbfounded at the door. There hadn’t been a sly comment, not even a hint of ridicule in Yang’s voice. Blake felt a weight lift off her chest and she allowed herself to fall back onto the bed, kicking her shoes off as she did so. She had been so certain that Yang was going to attack her for sleeping with a plush at the age of twenty four that the idea of her just accepting the fact had never occurred.

There was a familiar shudder of cold across her body and she wished that Yang would hurry back with Shroud. She needed something to snuggle up to tonight, the nightmares would come on hard and fast this time. It had been so long with them that Blake could tell these days, she knew how her body prepared to suffer. From a scientific standpoint, it was remarkable, but in this case Blake was both scientist and experiment rolled into one. The sensation wasn’t nearly as enlightening as all those fantasy romance novels had made it sound.

She was safe here, at least as safe as she could be. Adam was locked up in a prison across two continents and an ocean, he couldn’t touch her here. Besides, she was in the middle of nowhere, he wouldn’t be able to find her. Tucked away in the mountains, it was easy to hide and try to forget that he was out there.

But it had never been the threat of him finding her that had kept Blake up at night. It was his voice in the back of her mind, whispering little corruptions into her thoughts, bringing her fears to light. He was in every flash of paranoia, every instinct that told her to run. Yang and Yatsu had been nothing but friendly, but that didn’t stop the little ghost of Adam muttering that they couldn't be trusted. It didn't stop Blake from believing him, even as she fought back with all her heart. Yang seemed like a good person, and Blake had to trust her. At least for tonight, she had to trust Yang.

The blonde stepped back in hugging Shroud to her chest, and snapping Blake out of her reverie. “She’s soft,” Yang murmured quietly as she stepped forward and offered the plush to Blake. Blake had to fight herself not to snatch the cat away and crush her to her chest, to draw what comfort she could from the little stuffed cat. 

“Yeah. I love her,” Blake said softly as she took Shroud and tucked her into the crook of her arm. 

Yang stood awkwardly in the middle of the room as though she wanted to say something else. When she was finally able to speak, she said, “You, uh, need anything else?” That wasn’t what she had wanted to say, and Blake wished that she could read the woman’s thoughts.

“No, I’m good. Thanks for letting me stay,” Blake said and Yang smiled gently down at her.

“No problem. When do you think you’ll be up?”

“Why?” The word came out much more hostile than Blake had intended for it to, a remnant of her time with Adam. He had wanted to know everything, when she slept, when she woke, when she ate, who she was with. The idea of letting someone else have that level of control made Blake’s stomach twist into a knot and her ears drooped. 

“S-so we can go get my truck? You know what, forget it. I’ll walk,” Yang muttered, backing away quickly, so quickly that Blake almost didn’t have time to call out after her.

“Ten! I’ll be up at ten. We can go get your truck then.” That made Yang stop and she narrowed her eyes as she looked at Blake, as if searching for a hidden meaning. All she would find was Blake staring back apologetically, trying to convey that she hadn’t meant to be so aggressive. “Sorry, I...I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Yang let out a relieved sigh and ran a hand through her beautiful golden hair. “It’s okay. You’re tired, I get it. Night Blake.”

“Night Yang," Blake said as Yang slipped back out the door, closing it gently behind her. Blake resisted the urge to groan aloud until she was certain that Yang was inside the bar and out of earshot. “Fuck.”

Blake wanted to stay up and think, to consider how she could have done things better with Yang that night, but her body betrayed her. The moment that she slumped onto her side and clutched Shroud to her chest, her eyes fluttered closed and she began to feel exhaustion overtaking her. As she drifted off to sleep, she vowed to do better tomorrow. Fortunately, she was too tired out to remember her dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadly, there are two beds in this fic. Even if there weren't, Yang would sleep on the bar so that Blake could get the bed.  
> Also, Happy New Year, everybody!  
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Comments are always appreciated!  
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jacubesilvora  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakobretheKitty


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After helping out with Yang's truck, Blake offers to help out at the bar even more, staying for another night.

Blake rolled over from the sunlight piercing through the window, grumbling to herself. She grabbed her phone from underneath herself, and checked the time.

Ten thirty.

“Shit!” Blake shouted, leaping out of bed and throwing on her shoes. She didn’t bother with fresh clothes, she was already behind schedule.

Not two minutes later she tore out of her bedroom haphazardly, clutching Shroud under her arm. She looked to all the world like a lost hiker rather than the woman who was going to confidently help someone as wonderful as Yang get their truck back. 

Even as she hobbled out the door, adjusting her shoe with one hand and clutching Shroud with the other, her heart was cloaked in a vicious cold. She knew that she’d had nightmares last night, but she couldn't remember the specifics. Sometimes that was a blessing, she didn’t have any details to haunt her waking moments, but other times, like today, it left a feeling of dread.

But wallowing in despair could come later. Right now, she was late. 

Blake burst into the back of the bar and yelled, “Yang! Sorry I’m up late, I didn’t mean to oversleep!”

There was no response, the bar still and quiet.

“Uh...Yang?” Blake called out and this time there was a response, a sleepy groan from up the stairs.

“Blake...izzat you?” the groggy voice of Yang came trundling down the stairs, followed by another groan and the sound of someone falling out of bed. “I’ll be righ’ there. Can you make some coffee?”

Blake sighed, a rush of relief flooding her body. At least she wasn’t late, even if they were off to a late start. She looked around the tiny kitchen and her eyes settled on a coffee maker. After a few minutes of searching, Blake found some coffee grounds and got the machine running, then grabbed some mugs she had seen earlier. As she leaned back against the counter she heard the sound of Yang stumbling down the stairs. 

When Yang rounded the corner, she smiled broadly and straightened up to her full height. She had bags under her eyes that hadn’t been there the night before and she yawned heavily, stretching towards the ceiling. Blake had to force herself to study the coffee maker to avoid staring at the rippling muscles of Yang’s arms and the teasing glimpse of incredible abs as her shirt lifted up with the stretch. 

“You sleep all right?” Yang asked and Blake nodded, even though the voice whispered ‘ _ Liar’ _ in the back of her mind. “Well that’s one of us, anyway.”

“You didn’t sleep well?” Blake asked.

Yang shrugged and leaned heavily against the wall. “Nah, not really. My sister was freaking out about a midterm she’s taking today and couldn’t sleep, so I had to calm her down. I was up until five doing it.”

“That sucks.”

“I don’t mind,” Yang said and she gazed fondly at the ground, though her eyes were far away. She shook her head after a moment, and glanced back up at Blake. “So, coffee and then the truck?”

Blake nodded, just in time for the coffee to finish percolating. She poured out two mugs and passed one to Yang. Blake didn’t much like coffee, but it seemed rude or at least awkward not to drink some as long as Yang was having a mug. 

As Yang led the way back to the bar, plopping down on a stool as soon as she could, she asked, “You have any siblings?”

“Nope, only child,” Blake said, taking the stool next to Yang. The blonde considered her for a moment, more a question of the distance than her family if Blake had to guess. Finding nothing wrong, Yang continued.

“Makes sense.” Blake narrowed her eyes and Yang smiled sheepishly before hurriedly adding an explanation, “I mean, that you’re out here on your own. I wouldn’t wanna do what you’re doing without Ruby, you know? Can’t stand traveling alone.”

“Oh, it’s not that bad after a while,” Blake said with a shrug, though Yang didn’t seem convinced. “I’d like to make the trip with somebody but I-” the words caught in her throat and Blake suddenly couldn't speak, though Yang caught her meaning regardless.

“I gotcha,” she said softly, sliding a bowl of sugar to Blake, “Didn’t mean to offend you or anything.”

Blake scooped a few spoonfuls of sugar into her coffee as she considered her next words, then took a sip. Satisfied that she could no longer taste coffee in her coffee, she decided it was time to change the subject. “It’s fine. What were you doing out that way yesterday?”

“Oh, I was getting some reference photos for a friend. She’s a photographer, and she’s trying to get into landscapes these days. She asked me to get some pictures of places I thought she’d like, so I was out there for a few hours. Didn’t realize my truck was running so hot.” A flash of uncertainty crossed Yang’s face and she said, “You think it’ll make it to town in one go?”

Blake sucked on her teeth in thought for a moment, then sighed. “I dunno. I wouldn’t risk it, if I was you.”

Yang grunted in acknowledgement, then slammed back the rest of her coffee. She let out a low whistle, then groaned and leaned onto the bar, head in her hands. “Fuck, I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Blake asked, one hand instinctively reaching out to comfort Yang but she stopped it before it could get too far.

“Too little sleep and too much coffee at once,” Yang grumbled, “I’m gonna have a headache all day.” Blake started drinking her coffee a bit slower at that, and Yang groaned again, rubbing her temples in frustration. “It’s gonna be awful working tonight.”

“I can help,” Blake said softly, half hoping that Yang hadn’t heard. From the sidelong glance she received, the blonde definitely had.

“What are you, some kinda guardian angel? You show up outta nowhere and start helping left and right.” The words were held tight to Yang’s chest, as though a barrier. Blake frowned slightly and raised up her hands in a peacemaking gesture.

“Just raised right, I guess.”

Yang chewed that over for a moment, then shook her head ruefully. “You know how to work a bar?”

“No, but I can learn. I can get people beer and things, work the floor so you can focus on the bar,” Blake said, leaning whole hog into the idea of helping. The offer was already out there, and it would be remiss to back down now. There was a long silence as Yang considered this, then she shrugged.

“Yeah, maybe.”

Blake finished off her coffee and stood, thankful that they were getting on the road. “You ready?”

“Sure am.”

“All right. I’ll put Shroud back and meet you outside,” Blake said, gesturing vaguely with the plush. Yang nodded and swung her legs around to stand, murmuring,

“Sure.”

The feel of dread deepened as Blake watched Yang head for the door. Blake had overstepped, and she knew it. Adam’s whispers told her as much.

Within two hours they had Yang’s truck back at the bar, though it was struggling to pull into the garage. Apparently overheating was only the start of the problems that the vehicle was having. Yang swore as she hopped out, popping the hood in frustration.

"C'mon baby, what's wrong with you now?" Blake stood awkwardly in the entrance to the garage, her bike parked next to her. Yang let out a sigh and leaned back, muttering to herself about calling a mechanic. After a moment she shook her head and walked towards Blake. "You really wanna stay and help?"

"Yeah," Blake said, putting as much confidence into her voice as she could. She wasn't sure how good a job she'd done at sounding self assured, but at the very least Yang nodded ruefully.

"You're stubborn, aren't you?" Yang asked and Blake smirked.

"Perks of being an only child." That made Yang laugh and the very sound itself pierced through the despair surrounding Blake's heart like sunlight. 

"Okay, if you're sure. I'm gonna go take a nap, try to shake this headache. Don't break anything while I'm asleep, all right?"

"I won't," Blake said, and Yang laughed as she led the way back into the bar where she went up the stairs to her room and Blake carried on towards her own. If she was going to be staying the night and working for her supper she might as well be showered and clean beforehand.

As the water washed over her, sweeping away the dust and dirt from the ride, Blake let her mind wander. What was she doing here? She had just met Yang and she was already agreeing to stay and work a shift just because the woman had a headache? Yang had lived up here for...well, Blake didn’t know how long but it must have been a while and it didn’t seem like she was up here with anyone. By now working with a headache would’ve been old hat for her, she didn’t need Blake's sympathy or her help. 

But Blake couldn’t walk away now, at least not tonight. She was already slotted to help out and she’d feel terrible for skipping out on Yang. Blake wasn’t somebody who abandoned responsibility like that, or at least she tried not to be. The thought sent a shudder through her body despite the hot water. She hadn’t been the most reliable over the past few years, and her running off on some fantastical cross continental road trip wasn’t exactly the best showing of her loyalty.

_ You abandon people _

“Shut up!” Blake snarled, shaking her head violently to throw the poisoned thoughts aside. She focused on her shower, forcing herself to meticulously clean every inch of her body to avoid allowing her thoughts to wander. The last thing she needed right now was to have a panic attack in the shower. She could still feel the choking smog of doubt and insecurity wafting its way through her thoughts, a subtle wind in the dark corners of her mind. Even as she snatched up some shampoo and conditioner to thoroughly clean her hair the feeling remained, twisting and festering in the cockles of her consciousness. Blake set her jaw and grimaced to keep the feeling at bay, to keep it from overtaking her entirely. Right now all she needed to do was focus on getting ready for tonight. Once she was on the road again, the thoughts would drift away behind her and she could get some distance between herself and the cruel voice of Adam.

It felt a bit foolish, to have such a grim resolve to cleanliness, so she turned the feeling elsewhere. If she was going to be working with Yang for a night, then she was going to be the best damn waitress the blonde had ever seen. 

As it turned out, that was easier than expected. Blake spent most of the day learning where everything was and practicing passing by Yang if they were both behind the bar. As evening approached, she felt a jittery nervousness spread throughout her body in anticipation of the coming crowd. Two hours into the bar’s hours of operation saw Blake and Yang lounging around in the barstools nursing a pair of beers. Yang glowered at the bar, tracing her finger along the handcrafted wood.

“It is a Tuesday,” she muttered, “That might be keeping people away.”

Blake opened her mouth to agree, only to have the sudden realization that she didn’t actually know what day of the week it had been before Yang had said something. “It’s-Is this a Tuesday?”

Yang snorted with laughter into her beer, nearly spilling it across the bar. “You don’t know?”

“I just know how far it is to my next stopover, I don’t know what day of the week it is,” Blake said, trying to let the embarrassment roll away with a shrug. Like with Shroud however, there was no judgement in Yang’s eyes, just gentle curiosity. “I don’t need to know the day of the week on the road. I’ll get to the coast when I get there.”

“Good attitude to have,” Yang said as she watched Blake take a long drink of her beer. “Might be a bit behind schedule with...this.” She gestured at the empty room and Blake smiled, leaning against the bar.

“I was behind anyway. Getting through the City of Vacuo was a real bitch, I had to take two days to go around.” The traffic in Vacuo’s capital had been a proper nuisance, even in the middle of winter. Then again, it hadn’t exactly felt like a winter that Blake was familiar with and the people who lived in the capital had no reason to stop going about their daily lives. Even on her bike she had been at a standstill for the better part of a day, and that was on the outskirts of the city.

“Never met anyone who was happy to live there,” Yang said with a laugh and Blake joined in, the brevity lightening the mood that the empty bar had created. The doors swung open and a trio of dirty, exhausted people wandered in, collapsing at one of the tables. “You’re up,” Yang murmured and Blake hopped to her feet and walked over, plastering a smile on her face.

“Evening everybody. What can I get for you?” she asked and the trio regarded her for a moment before ordering a beer and a shot of whiskey each. As Blake got their drinks ready, Yang asked,

“You guys know why it's so slow tonight? I know it's a weekday, but this is ridiculous.”

One of the trio, a woman in her mid forties, sighed and shook their head, long brown hair falling about their face. “Rockslide on the main road. Most people are out there trying to clear it, and everyone else is staying home. Mayor thinks there might be more coming, doesn’t want people out and about.”

“That didn’t stop you,” Yang said with an amused smile, “How bad is it?”

“We were already halfway here when the order to stay home came out,” the woman said, waving away the comment, “And it’s pretty bad. They’re saying it’s gonna take at least a week or two to get it cleared off proper.”

“Shit. Nobody got hurt, right?” 

The woman shrugged and thanked Blake when she dropped off their drinks. “Nothing serious, anyway, Staties are stuck on the other side, but even then it's gonna take some doing to clear it. Vacuo sent a handful of rangers but they have to travel too far to be much help.”

“The whole road’s blocked?” Blake asked and the woman nodded.

“Yep, not just the road out of town like we thought at first. The whole town’s getting involved. I mean, we have to, right?” The woman’s companions nodded solemnly and Blake cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Right, you’re not from around here,” the woman said as she saw Blake, “All our business comes from out of town. It’s too far back westward for people to bother, so if the road east is blocked then we’re in real trouble.”

Blake frowned and let out a soft “Oh,” of realization, more at how the rockslide was going to affect her own plans than the town. She was already behind schedule and now her way forward was blocked for at least a week. There was always the option of driving to an airfield, getting herself and her bike flown over the mountains, but that would take a week anyway. Besides, it would be disingenuous to her trip and, no matter how false it would be, it would leave her feeling like she had cheated somehow. 

“It’ll be good for you though,” the woman said, gesturing at Yang, “Everyone’s gonna be coming up this way once the stay at home order is lifted.”

“Yeah, and you’re gonna drink me dry. I can’t get more stock until the road’s clear,” Yang said dryly.

The trio threw back their whiskeys and the woman said, “We should be getting back anyway. Don’t want the mayor on my ass for disobeying an order I didn’t get till it was too late.”

Yang laughed, though it was short and humorless. “Right. Well, have a good night you three.” They all waved acknowledgement and made their way out the door, and soon there was the sound of a truck engine starting up and tires on the dirt outside the bar. Blake glanced over at Yang, who was scowling at the empty table. 

“You okay?” Blake asked hesitantly and Yang snapped her head up as though prodded.

“What? Yeah, fine. Just worried about keeping up with demand.” There was more to it, something hidden under the surface, but Blake couldn’t suss out the meaning this time. It was deep within Yang’s expression, a mystery that was hidden under layers of the friendly bartender and the gracious hostess, to whatever lay beneath. Blake had yet to see a hint of that side of Yang. “What about you? Seems like you’re stuck here for a while.”

Blake shrugged and sat back down at the bar. “I don’t mind, as long as you keep putting me up.” Yang smirked and fished out a hard iced tea from under the bar, sliding it across to Blake. “Thanks.”

“Sure. I don’t mind you staying, I still owe you anyways,” Yang said as she began to throw a drink together for herself. 

“How long are you gonna owe me?” Blake teased lightly, unsure of how far she could push before Yang pushed back. It seemed that this level of familiarity was perfectly fine, as Yang smiled over her careful measurements.

“As long as you keep helping out with the truck and the bar, you can stay as long as you want.”

“Careful, Yang, you don’t even know me yet.”

“Well,” Yang muttered as she began to pour her drink together, “maybe I want to.” Immediately her expression shifted into something that Blake could only describe as guilty, as though she were afraid of wanting to get to know her. Blake felt a rush of protectiveness and another lance of nervous attraction and she smiled gently over at Yang.

“I’d like that too. As long as I’m staying here, I might as well get to know my host, right?” Yang smiled again but it was forced, and Blake fought back the urge to frown. Something that she had said was wrong, it gave off a bad impression, but she couldn't tell what. It was like before, something that was so intrinsically Yang that it was beyond Blake’s ability to tell what it meant. Still, if she got to know the blonde well enough maybe it wouldn't be so hard in the future. Blake changed the topic as quickly as she could. “So, uh, what do you do around here when you’re not working?”

“Oh, this and that,” Yang said, her earlier discomfort floating away in the wake of a contemplative frown, “There’s not much to do up here, so I have to entertain myself. Been trying to get into painting but it’s not going well.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t have steady hands. At least not for painting,” she added as she finished pouring her drink together, her hand steady as a rock. Yang took a sip of her drink and sighed appreciatively, then garnished it with a strawberry.

“You just need more practice,” Blake said and Yang nodded ruefully.

“Yeah, and I’ll get it too. Mayor probably won’t lift the stay home order for a day or two. Most times people wouldn’t listen, but everyone knows somebody who got caught in a rockslide.”

“Do they happen often?” Blake asked, narrowing her eyes and wondering if it had been a smart idea to go through the mountains.

“Often enough that people keep emergency bags in their cars,” Yang said with a shrug, “I’ve never seen one.”

“That’s probably a good thing.”

“Yeah, probably.”

The two laughed gently, their voices mixing and melding together beautifully, like a harmony. 

“I dunno what you’ll want to do,” Yang said, glancing at Blake over the top of her glass, “It’ll be pretty boring for somebody who’s been traveling across the continent.”

“I guess we’ll have to sit around and get to know each other,” Blake said, resting her chin on her hand as she stared at Yang. “Shame.”

“Real shame,” Yang murmured as she met Blake’s eyes. For a moment, just a flash, Blake could see beyond the persona that Yang threw on for customers to the woman underneath. She was so beautiful, kind, gentle, and...scared. The fear was so potent that Blake could almost smell it. Then Yang blinked and the window was closed again. “At least we don’t have to stay up until three.”

Blake groaned happily and let her head slump to the bar. “Thank the gods.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Yang said with a small laugh and Blake chuckled softly in response. “Well, if no one’s around I’m gonna go watch a bad movie and finish my drink.” She stepped away from the bar and towards the stairs, waving over her shoulder as she went. “Night Blake!”

“Night Yang,” Blake said as the blonde vanished up the stairs, then she let out a sigh. There was nothing for it but to finish up her iced tea and get some sleep. She could work on getting to know Yang tomorrow. 

She hadn’t finished more than half of her drink before Yang came thumping back down the stairs, turning the corner with a sheepish smile. “Sorry, that was rude of me. You wanna come watch the movie with me? I’m only ten minutes in.”

Blake couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face and she could see it reflected in Yang. “What movie?”

“ _ The Beowulf Strikes at Midnight _ .” Blake knew the movie, an old b-rate monster flick from twenty years ago. It was one of her guilty pleasures.

“Absolutely I’ll watch that with you, I love that movie,” she said, sliding off the stool and walking around the bar towards Yang. Yang’s expression brightened again and she led the way up the stairs.

Yang’s room was, like everything else in the bar, simple but serviceable. There was a huge queen sized mattress in the center of the room opposite a tv, where a still frame of the poorly animated titular Beowulf was frozen mid leap. There was a single round window on the far wall, and next to it was an easel and some painting supplies. Blake grunted appreciatively when she saw a small bookshelf next to Yang’s bed, all of its contents looking well loved and thoroughly read. Yang gestured to the foot of the bed and the two sat down. The bed was soft and inviting and Blake could imagine herself drifting off right then and there, but first there was a bad movie to watch.

Yang pressed play and they laughed as the movie continued. It was a standard b-movie horror schlock, with terrible acting, bad effects, and a nonsensical plot. Blake felt the wave of desperation and fear that her nightmares and the news of the rockslide had brought beginning to fade as she and Yang started to jeer at the movie. Yang must have watched it at least a dozen times, nearly as many as Blake, and they quickly found that they shared a sense of humor.

It was nice to laugh with someone who wasn’t doing it for a tip or her parents, Blake mused. Her laughter with Yang felt genuine, like it came from deep within her soul. It wasn’t forced or hollow like she was used to, and the sheer reality that she was laughing because she was having a good time was almost startling. As the movie concluded, the hiss in the back of her mind had lost its sting, covered up by happiness and laughter.

Yang glanced over at her as the credits rolled, her eyes shining beautifully in the light of the shattered moon. “You know there’s a sequel, right?”

“There’s six sequels,” Blake said matter of factly, “and I’ve seen all of them.” She owned them all, hell, she had the limited edition box set. The sixth and seventh film had even been good, though that was only by comparison to the first five.

“Well I’ve only got the first three,” Yang said with a laugh and gestured at the screen, “You wanna keep watching?”

Blake thought about it for a moment and checked the time, a small digital clock under the tv screen. It was already past midnight, but she didn’t feel tired. If anything, she felt like she could stay up all night and then some. “Fuck yeah,” she said and settled into the bed, leaning back to rest on her elbows as the next movie began.

As the movie progressed, Yang lay next to her, propped up on one arm and turned so she could see the screen and Blake at the same time. “Really made yourself at home, didn’t you?”

Blake shot upright, almost hurling herself off the bed, her ears flat against her head in alarm. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to overstep, I was just getting comfy. I-I’ll sit on the floor.”

“Oh gods, no, don’t do that!” Yang said quickly, an apology sweeping across in her voice. “I didn’t mean anything by it, just...you looked comfortable is all.”

“Oh,” Blake mumbled, slowly settling back onto the bed. She glanced over at Yang to see if she would protest, but she said nothing. Blake forced a smile onto her face and settled in, trying to reclaim the feeling of calm that her sudden reaction had shattered. Yang smiled at her gently and began to relax as the movie carried on. Another half hour had passed before Blake finally managed to say, “I didn’t mean to react like that. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Yang said quietly, not taking her eyes off the movie, “It’s okay.” The gentle firmness in Yang’s voice, the way she relaxed a bit further as the issue was resolved, let Blake know that it really was okay. Yang wasn’t offended, if anything Blake would have said that Yang was as startled as she was. 

Slowly they returned to making fun of the movie and by the end of the second film the air in the room was back to being light and happy. Blake yawned heavily and smacked her lips, lazily looking from the credits back to Yang. All her energy had been eaten up in the wake of her shock and now the late hour was finally beginning to catch up to her.

“We can save the third movie for tomorrow night,” Yang said and Blake nodded, pushing herself to her feet. 

“I’d like that,” Blake murmured, smiling at Yang with a sleepy, dopey expression. “You wanna go for a ride tomorrow?” Yang blushed heavily and Blake hurriedly added, “On-on my bike, I meant. You can get some more pictures for your friend.”

“Oh! Sure, that sounds great,” Yang replied as she scooted her way up the bed until she was at the top. “Just, uh, come get me when you wake up, okay?”

“Sure thing. Night!” Blake said as she made her way to the stairs. The happy feeling followed her down the stairs and out into the spare room. She clutched Shroud tightly to her chest and hummed happily as she began to drift off. Perhaps a bit of tonight’s joy could be stored in the little panther plush, a reserve of happiness that Blake could use later. Another thought wafted up from the depths of her mind, a forgotten well of hope, that perhaps she would share another happy night with Yang tomorrow. The thought brought a smile to her face and she gently fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Beowulf Strikes at Midnight is inspired by my own love for horrible monster movies.  
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Comments are always appreciated!  
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jacubesilvora  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakobretheKitty


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After settling into her new temporary home and job, Blake is introduced to the town's troublemakers.

“Oh, yeah. That’s the money shot,” Yang muttered to herself as she knelt on the side of the road. The sun was already setting on their second day of driving around getting photographs for Yang’s friend, and Blake was having a hard time keeping her laughter in check. She didn’t blame Yang for talking to herself while she worked, Blake did plenty of it herself. Being alone for a long time did that to you, but it was the manner in which Yang spoke that Blake found hilarious. It was like she was trying to compete with herself for each new location, every new angle of the desert and foothills below them. 

Yesterday, Blake had been trepidatious about going out for a ride with the news of the rockslide, but by the afternoon an announcement had come over the radio that the chance of additional rockslides was slim. They were still careful, of course, but it did speed up their progress and let them range out farther than they had previously. Yang had started to enjoy riding on the bike, laughing delightedly as Blake had them careening down the road. They had even capped off the day with the third  _ Beowulf Strikes _ movie, both of them much more comfortable than the night previous, laying on the bed completely instead of sitting at the foot. Blake could now chalk up her streak of happy days at two, and it was rapidly approaching three.

It was a new record.

Blake shook the thought away with a subtle jerk of her head, instead focusing her mind on watching Yang. The blonde was still muttering to herself as she snapped picture after picture of the incredible landscape below them. Blake was beginning to think that being stuck up here with Yang might not be so bad. If every day was as calm and happy as this one, Blake wouldn't mind staying here forever.

The part of her mind that was still cold and scared, the part that had grown powerful in her time with Adam, immediately refused the idea. She had a trip to finish, and besides she barely knew Yang. Sure, Yang made Blake happy and gave her a feeling of safety and security that she hadn't had in years but what did  _ that _ have to do with anything?

But then the other part of her mind, the part that was waking up and recovering thanks to Yang's calm presence, desperately wanted her to stay. It was the first place that Blake could really say she had a stake in since...well, probably since she had been a child, before she'd run away from home the first time. It didn't help that every time Blake looked at Yang she felt the warm strains of what her books called love stoking a fire in her heart.

She had never been in love, not really. What she had felt for Adam had been infatuation, a childish approximation of love with none of the depth the emotion was supposed to have. With Yang, there was something more than innocent admiration and a sharp intake of breath. Every time that Yang smiled at Blake, she felt like she could faint from happiness. It was a crazy, wild feeling that made Blake want to sing. She ached with the feeling and even more so when she considered that Yang might feel the same way.

Yang had been smiling more, genuine smiles, and the walls she put up were slowly coming down. Blake couldn't blame her for being slow to trust, the feeling was unfortunately mutual. But she wanted to trust Yang, and so every day she worked at lowering her own defenses just a hair further. 

Yang's phone went off and she checked it with a frown. "We should get back. The mayor lifted the stay at home order."

Blake pushed herself off her bike and started to climb on as Yang approached. "You think we're gonna get swamped?"

"I'd count on it," Yang said with a smirk, "It's gonna be a real trial by fire for you tonight."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." As soon as Yang was on, Blake gunned the engine and they roared back to the bar.

That evening, 'swamped' was an understatement. The bar was packed full, a standing room only affair that was slowly giving Blake's anxiety a run for its money. It was all Blake could do to keep up with demand, though everyone was polite if not outright friendly.

Compared to Blake's slow stumbling steps and her clumsy service, Yang was in a different league altogether. She was slinging drinks and chatting up the customers like she had been born to do it. Currently she was entertaining Yatsu and his friends, whom Blake had taken a liking to immediately.

Currently, in a small break where everyone was happy and served, Blake took a moment to watch the shenanigans at the bar. Yatsu had his arm slung around his companion in orange, a man named Fox, and both were leaning as far from their other friends as possible. A small rabbit Faunus named Velvet was trying to keep her girlfriend Coco from loudly proclaiming just how  _ much _ she loved Velvet. Yang was sliding her shot glasses of water, the woman far too wasted to notice. Blake wouldn’t have described her as ‘punchy’ like Yatsu had, it was more like the alcohol brought her emotions to the fore in extremes. While right now she was ecstatically happy, a few minutes ago she had been sobbing uncontrollably at the fact that snakes don’t have arms, and therefore can’t grab anything. To hear Coco’s slurred descriptions it was a fate worse than death. 

The door swung open and Blake glanced over to see two women walk in like they owned the place. They were twins, obviously, with long black hair and piercing green eyes, the only discernible difference between the two being that one was dressed in red and the other in white. They strode up and took two seats at the bar, a pair of college kids nervously backing away as the twins approached. Blake watched them carefully, noting that the one in red had what appeared to be a pistol shoved into her waistband, poorly hidden behind her shirt. 

Yang put on a smile so fake it looked like plastic, leaning on the bar as she greeted her two newest customers. “Melanie, Miltia. What can I get for you?”

Even with all the noise, Blake was close enough to hear the twins respond. The one in white quietly said, “Hi Yang,” but the one in red scoffed and said,

“Just get our usuals, blondie.”

The one in white let out a soft huff at her sister’s rudeness, but if Yang noticed the small exchange she didn’t act on it, already throwing together a pair of identical drinks. Blake was called over by a friendly smile and was soon on the hunt for more beer. She slipped past Yang with a muttered ‘Excuse me,’ before crouching down to grab some bottles. It was good that she had taken the time to learn the bar over the past few days, with the pace of things tonight slowing down to search for something would have been a death sentence.

She could feel the twin pair of green eyes on her even as she walked back out onto the floor briskly, unable to keep her ears from twisting to listen to what the woman in red said. “Who’s the new chick?”

“Someone who’s passing through,” Yang replied conversationally, “Sticking around cause of the rockslide.”

Blake dropped off the new beer with a smile, the woman who received it slipping her a sizable tip. As Blake tucked the money away, she backed up and knocked into someone’s chair. “Sorry!” she said, apologizing profusely, but the person she’d bumped into only waved it away with a tipsy smile. That same forgiveness didn’t seem to extend to the woman in red, a sneer evident in her voice.

“She’s hopeless.”

“Hey! You-you don’t-” Coco slurred, leaning across Velvet to jab a finger at the woman in red. Blake could feel the bar freeze, a cold air of horror sweeping across the entire room as everyone turned to see what was happening. It was like something out of those old Vacuan cowboy movies, and it was much less exciting to be experiencing it for real. 

Velvet wrapped Coco up in a hug, trapping her arm so she couldn't point anymore. “Coco, don’t.” 

Coco’s face fell and she looked away, glaring at the bar instead of the woman in red. The sneer only grew as the woman taunted, “No, it’s fine. Go ahead, Coco, what do you wanna say? You can tell me.” 

“It’s nothin’,” Coco muttered and the woman laughed humorlessly. Blake’s blood ran cold as she heard it. She  _ knew _ that laugh, it was the laugh of someone who was in control and they were willing to do anything to prove it. It was Adam’s laugh.

“C’mon, we’re all friends here,” the woman jeered, one hand drifting to her waistband, “What do you wanna say?”

“Melanie, please,” the woman in white hissed quietly, “One night, that’s all I want.”

“What? I’m not causing trouble,” the woman in red, named Melanie, replied and the woman in white sighed and shook her head in exasperation. Melanie leered at Coco for another minute, but the woman didn’t rise to her taunts. After a while, Melanis scoffed again and chugged her drink before standing. “Hate this place anyway.” With that she left and the woman in white groaned aloud before racing after her, tossing a small pile of Lien on the counter as she left. 

The mood in the bar was shattered, and the other patrons quickly abandoned their tables. Where once the place had been lively and full of joy, now it was subdued and choked in a hateful smog. It was a feeling that Blake knew well, and one that she had hoped to escape when she went on her road trip. It seemed like everyone had their demons, even Yang.

As Yatsu and Velvet all but carried Coco out of the bar, Fox hot on their heels, Blake slumped down at the bar. All the exhaustion of her night’s work came crashing down at once and she felt like passing out right then and there, only perking up when she felt a glass slide into her arm. She looked up to see a tall glass of ice water, and beyond an apologetic smile from Yang.

“Sorry you had to see that,” Yang muttered and Blake took a long drink before asking,

“Who were those two?” 

“The Malachite twins,” Yang said with a heavy sigh, pouring her own water, “Melanie and Miltia. They’re trouble is who they are, always mixed up in some kind of crime back in town.”

“Why hasn’t someone arrested them?” Blake asked and Yang shook her head ruefully.

“People try, some rookie cop is always busting them. They’re best friends with somebody who's got money, a lot of it, so their problems disappear,” Yang’s expression changed to one of pure, unadulterated fear before she continued, “Sometimes the cops do too.”

Blake wasn’t a fan of police, especially not the small town variety, but the fact that the two women from before were able to make people vanish made her anxiety come back full force. She nearly shattered her glass in a white knuckle grip, only keeping that at bay with a long, low breath. “Shit.”

“Yeah.”

There was a long moment of silence before Blake managed to find her voice again. “Do they come in here often?”

“No, thankfully,” Yang said, the tension in her shoulders lessening ever so slightly, “They have their own club back in town, so they only come up here from time to time.”

“They don’t seem to like you very much,” Blake muttered, and Yang snorted with humorless laughter.

“Nah, they really don’t. Well, Miltia’s okay. If she ever got away from her sister, she might be halfway decent. Melanie’s the real nasty one.” 

“I picked up on that,” Blake said dryly, letting the poor attempt at humor relax her muscles as much as it could. She still felt coiled up, ready to spring for her bike and hide at a moment’s notice. Yang met her eyes slowly, a look of worry residing deep within.

“You saw the gun too, huh?” she muttered and Blake nodded slowly. Yang slumped against the bar and grumbled to herself, idly spinning the water in her glass. 

“At least working here wasn’t bad otherwise,” Blake said, trying to change the subject as best she could without making it seem like she was ignoring the issue. Yang glanced up at her with an appreciative smile, and said,

“Yeah? You were pretty good at it.”

“I didn’t break anything, at least,” Blake said and Yang laughed softly.

“Well, that’s better than my first night. Gods, I was a mess back in the day.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me about it.”

Yang regarded her fondly for a moment, a look that made Blake’s heart soar, and then the blonde launched into a story. She talked for another few hours, and Blake listened with rapt attention. Yang told all kinds of stories, from spilling a tray of beers all over Yatsu to tripping and almost breaking a table.

“You were okay, right?” Blake asked and Yang nodded, a happy smile on her face.

“I was fine, just sprained my ankle,” Yang said, waving the worry away. Blake shook her head in exasperation.

“That’s not fine, Yang. Gods, did you have to work on that ankle?” Yang nodded slowly at that, confusion spreading across her face.

“Yeah? I gotta pay the rent somehow. I mean, it hurt like hell but I could still work.”

Blake found herself wishing that she’d been there when Yang had twisted her ankle, if only so she could share the brunt of the work with her. She would have to settle for being there if it ever happened again. “If you twist it again, I’m not letting you work on a busted ankle.”

“Oh, so you have to  _ let _ me do things now? Damn, Blake, we’ve just met. At least take me to dinner first,” Yang teased, but Blake was quick on the draw.

“So you would be okay with it? I didn’t know you were into that.” Yang flushed a deep red and looked away, which was fortunate because Blake was just as red. 

“I-I’m...I’ve read some weird romance novels,” Yang muttered, a small smile playing at the side of her lips. Blake laughed out loud at that, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Oh, me too. Trust me babe, anything that you think is weird, I can do better,” she said, then snapped her jaw shut. She didn’t know why she’d called Yang ‘babe’ like they were dating, it had slipped out like a natural part of the conversation. Blake glanced up at Yang to find her staring at her with careful interest, a strange, strangled hope at the edges of her gaze. “Sorry,” Blake muttered, “I-I didn’t mean to call you that.”

“It’s okay,” Yang said softly, “as long as I get to call you that too.”

“I can work with that,” Blake replied and suddenly Yang was smiling again, a surge of unbridled happiness fueling her expression. 

“So, you wanna watch another movie...babe?” Yang said the word slowly, like she was tasting it. Apparently she liked what she found.

“What movie?” Blake asked and Yang shrugged.

“You can pick.” With that, Yang led the way up the stairs and to her loft room. Blake found a comedy she recognized and the two settled in on the bed to watch it. The comedy wasn’t as funny as Blake remembered it being, but watching it with Yang made even the worst jokes much better. Soon the memory of the Malachite twins was locked away, twisting in the wind with that horrible whisper. Blake found it much easier to ignore that whisper when she was with Yang. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold! Villains!  
> I actually really enjoyed using the Malachites as the main antagonists in this story, they didn't get their time to shine in canon.  
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Comments are always appreciated!  
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jacubesilvora  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakobretheKitty


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake continues to settle into life at Yang's bar, but life and a way out of town come at them fast.

They weren't dating. They were barely beyond being strangers. Still, Yang had taken to calling Blake ‘babe’ like a fish to water. It was like she had been waiting to say it until Blake had given her express permission. Blake, for her part, still felt a bit awkward using the pet name for somebody who she was certainly not, under no circumstances, falling in love with.

Even as she felt her heart leap with joy and a smile break out on her face every time Yang shot her a grin or called her name, she refused to believe that she was falling in love. Love had only ever been a source of pain before, why would this be any different?

But she knew that hadn’t been love. Her time with Adam was better described with fear and depression than love. At first, Blake had thought it was love. Adam, or at least the man he pretended to be, was easy to fall in love with. It was all another layer of manipulation, another method of control. In the beginning, Blake had thought she was happy. In the end, she knew better.

There were no sunny days with Adam, no happy moments, no jokes while watching bad horror movies at one in the morning, or griping about snooty customers at the bar. There had only been cold greetings and orders. There was none of that cruelty with Yang. Yang made Blake feel comfortable with the woman she was staying with and, most remarkably, with herself. Blake could make mistakes here and she wouldn’t be screamed at. She could screw up, could say the wrong thing or be a minute late, and Yang would smile gently and carry on without comment. It was...liberating, in a way. It allowed Blake to finally get to know herself again. 

The rest of the week passed by quickly, and things began to settle into a routine. Each morning, Blake and Yang would wake up around eleven and share a small brunch before either heading off to get some more photographs for Yang’s friend, who Blake learned was Velvet, or would hang around the bar doing their own thing. Yang had taken a few mornings to drag out her easel and painting supplies and practice painting the exterior of the bar. Blake would laze around, making sure that everything was stocked and reading one of Yang’s books. They were much more action fantasy oriented than what Blake would have usually picked, but they were all enjoyable. Yang had good taste, at least until it came to romance novels. There were only a handful, though Yang had sheepishly admitted that she kept a few...special ones hidden around her room. 

As the week passed, Blake began to lov- _ appreciate _ Yang more and more. It was the way that she could draw out a laugh even when Blake felt rotten and the simple things that Yang pointed out that made the little mountain home seem a bit more beautiful. They had started exploring each other’s boundaries and what they could do for one another, little things that spoke of their growing relationship. Blake had memorized what Yang liked in her coffee and made a special mug every morning, she started to talk more to customers during work to keep them from all swarming Yang and overwhelming her. Yang had begun to change up her cooking, including things that she knew Blake liked, and had given up trying to get Blake to leave her knife behind when she was working, realizing that having it made Blake feel safer. Yang had even ordered the other four  _ Beowulf Strikes _ movies, promising a marathon day whenever they arrived. 

But what had really brought Blake’s feelings to the forefront of her mind happened during a long night near the end of the week. Some wannabe rough and tumble kind of guy had wandered in, swaggering up to the bar with all the confidence of a dead stick. No one in the bar recognized him, which Blake took to mean that he was from out of town. The townies didn’t take kindly to strangers, though they had accepted Blake readily enough. Probably being on good terms with Yang had a lot to do with that. 

The guy had been amicable enough, ordering a pair of whiskey shots. Yang had slid them over, chatting idly with him, until he caught sight of Blake. “Huh,” he grunted, “hey, kitty, pspsps. Meow for me.” Blake had been about to grab a tray and beat the man to death with it, but Yang had been faster. Her version of intimidation didn’t even require a physical threat. 

“You’re from outta town,” she said slowly, dragging out each word just enough to let the man know she was serious, “so you probably don’t know this, but when I started this place there were only two things I didn’t let inside: dogs and racist fucks. Course, recently, I had a change of heart,” she glared at the man over the bar, her eyes a burning red, “I started letting in dogs.” 

“So-”

“So get your ass out of my bar.” Yang’s hand drifted behind the bar meaningfully and the man gasped before bolting for the door. The moment the sound of his poorly maintained truck vanished down the road, Yang let out a sigh and relaxed, her eyes fading back to lilac. 

Blake walked up, leaning on the bar as things got back underway. “What were you reaching for?”

“Nothing,” Yang admitted with a small shrug, “I was probably just gonna hit him with a wine bottle if he started anything.” Blake snorted with laughter at that, and then the flow of work broke the moment apart. But that had been enough to make Blake drop her walls a whole lot faster than before. Yang had never seemed like that kind of person, but you just couldn’t tell without proof. That was all the proof Blake needed that Yang was good, through and through. 

Blake could feel herself relaxing into the comforting give and take of living here with Yang. It was simple, honest living, the thought of which made Blake feel like a farmer more than a waitress, but the fact remained. Her parents had been skeptical of her choice to stay with a stranger in the middle of nowhere, but after spending some time convincing them, and listing off Yang’s wonderful qualities, they had relented. Blake was an adult, she could make her own choices. Her parents tactfully refrained from mentioning that those same choices had led to her relationship with Adam, but Blake knew that Yang was nothing like him. 

And so things carried on over the next weekend, with Yang slowly warming up to Blake as well. She was still guarded, even though they spent nearly every waking moment at least within earshot of one another. Someone had hurt Yang before, and Blake had a sneaking suspicion as to how it had been accomplished. Even with Yatsu and his friends, Yang didn’t let them through her defences. She kept them at arm's length, even while seeming like a close friend. Yang didn’t want people close, Blake realized as she lay awake one night clutching Shroud tightly to her chest. People must have been close to her before, she spoke fondly about her home whenever it came up, but she wasn’t in contact with anyone from Vale outside of the townies. Every time that news came in about the rockslide getting cleared off, everyone was happy except for Yang. Blake caught more than one stare sent her direction, gazes laced with sadness and a brutal resignation. 

Before, when the rockslide had first happened, Blake had wanted to get going as soon as the road was clear. Now, she didn’t really know what she wanted to do. Being here with Yang just felt good, it felt natural. It was like she had traveled all this way just to find Yang. They made each other laugh, they fit together so well, like a well worn puzzle. Blake thought that she’d be a fool to leave that behind. 

On that Sunday evening, the bar was notably quiet. A few people came in and out, usually exhausted and covered in dirt, but it wasn’t until late that night that someone of note wandered in. There were two men, one with scruffy blonde hair and one with a shock of blue, each of them wearing the tan uniform of Vacuan rangers. They sat down heavily at the bar, covered in as much dust as anyone else that night.

“Hey Yang,” the blonde said, forcing energy into his voice. 

“Hey Sun, Neptune,” Yang said cheerfully, already filling up glasses of water for them, “What brings you two in tonight?”

“The roadblock,” the blonde named Sun said, “It just got cleared well enough to let people come and go. One lane on both sides still, but it’s enough. We’ve been letting people out in waves just so they don’t overwhelm the place and crowd the workers.”

“So that’s why it’s so quiet tonight,” Yang grumbled good naturedly, dragging a laugh out of the two men. 

“We should have it clear by next week,” the blue haired man named Neptune said, and his partner Sun nodded firmly. 

“But people can leave, right?” Yang asked, her eyes suddenly far away, a wave of sorrow overtaking her usual cheery demeanor. 

“Sure, if they want. Why, you planning a trip?” 

“No, not me,” Yang mumbled, glancing over at Blake. Blake turned away to clear off a table, pretending not to notice the absolute horror and sadness that glance carried with it. She could feel her heart sinking at the thought of the road being cleared, at the idea of her trip resuming. It was the same horrible drowning feeling that she had felt so many times over the years, when she left her parents to be with Adam, when she started her roadtrip, and now...she was about to leave Yang behind as well. 

_ You leave everyone behind _

Blake squeezed the rag she was using so hard that it spurted a small puddle of water and soap onto the table, fighting off the poisoned cloud of her thoughts as best she could, but today there was nothing for it. She could feel her body starting to shut down in the wake of the coming panic attack and so she forced herself to clean the table, and then back away. “Yang? You mind if I take a quick break?”

“Oh, sure,” Yang said, a wave of concern washing over her face as she saw Blake’s clenched jaw and the white knuckle grip she had on the rag. Blake nodded stiffly and made for the door, bursting outside and dashing to her room.

The moment she was inside, she collapsed onto the bed, curling up into a ball and snatching up Shroud. The cold whisper was everywhere now, seeping into her bones and chasing away any kind of rational thought. She could just stay, she didn’t need to finish her trip.

_ You always run, it’s what you’re good at _

No! Blake wanted to stay here with Yang, she wanted to be here. Fuck the trip, she could stay here with Yang for as long as she needed to. Yang would welcome her, would let her stay.

_ She hates you _

“Shut up!” Blake screamed into her pillow, burying her face into the forgiving softness, but even that wasn’t enough to keep her thoughts at bay. Fuck, she hadn’t been this bad since the day Adam had been arrested, but today she had so much more to lose. She couldn't bear to lose Yang, she refused to hurt that wonderful barkeep in any way.

_ But you will. You’ll destroy her _

“No…” Blake moaned into the pillow, her body shaking violently as she tried to calm herself down, “No, no…” 

_ You’re a coward. You always run, you’re worthless. That’s all you’re good for is hurting other people. Just get on your bike and go, it’s what you’re going to do anyway. Get it over with. Hurt her now. _

“I-I won’t!”

_ You will! _

“I’m...I’m not...I can’t hurt he-”

_ You’re scum! A pathetic little worm with no real worth. Did you really think that she wanted you? Did you really think you deserved someone like her? You’re a monster. You hurt people, it’s what you do. Get it over with. Get on your bike now and- _

“Blake?” Blake shot upright in bed, hand flying to her knife and looking around wildly. It took her a moment to find Yang, standing in the doorway. “What’s wrong?”

“I-I-” Blake stammered, her body going limp as her energy faded away entirely and she felt tears start to stream down her cheeks. Immediately Yang was by her side, wrapping her up in a hug. “I don’t-I don’t wanna-”

“It’s okay, Blake,” Yang said softly, cupping the back of Blake’s head. Blake leaned into the hug, the warmth of Yang’s body slowly banishing the frigid wind that howled in Blake’s mind.

“Do you...want me here?” Blake whispered and Yang nodded firmly.

“Of course I do.”

_ She’s lying _

“You’re lying.” 

“What?” Yang mumbled, leaning back enough to stare into Blake’s eyes. Immediately Blake’s heart twisted into a horrible knot as she saw the hurt in Yang’s eyes, the shattered trust that lay in pieces around them both. “Blake, I want you here. I absolutely want you here, as long as you’re willing to stay. I...I would never lie about that. I would never lie to you.” Yang looked away, studying the compressed form of Shroud for a moment, then murmured, “If you want to leave-”

“No!” Blake almost shouted the word. She wanted to declare that she was going to be here forever, she wanted to say that she and Yang could live this life every day until the end of time, but she couldn’t. That horrible whisper wouldn’t let her. “At least, not yet.”

“Okay,” Yang said softly, leaning back and smiling gently at Blake. “Okay.” She let out a sigh and glanced towards the open door, back towards the bar. “I should get back in there. Don’t want Neptune raiding the bar again.”

“Again?” Blake laughed, a soft, choked sound and Yang’s smile grew slightly. 

“Yeah, again. Come back in when you’re ready okay? And if you need me...just come get me. I can check on you, if you want.”

“That’s...that’s okay. I just need a minute to recover.”

Yang stood and headed for the door, only to stop in the opening and glance back. “Blake, what happened?”

“My, uh,” Blake stumbled over the explanation her therapist had given her months ago, struggling to remember the technical terms, “My negative thoughts get really bad sometimes. It’s like…” She didn’t want to explain it fully, it would make her sound crazy, but it was the only way to make Yang understand. “It’s like there’s a voice in my head. It’s...a bad voice. It convinces me that I’m a real piece of shit.”

“Oh, Blake,” Yang murmured softly, coming back to hug her again when there was the sound of shattering glass from the bar followed by a shouted apology. “Ah, grapes.”

“I’ll be there soon,” Blake said, “We can talk more later, okay?”

Concern washed over Yang’s face, a deep, genuine worry that let Blake know that Yang really cared. “Okay. I’ll see you in there.” With that, Yang turned and left, heading back to the bar.

Blake rejoined her in another half hour, after forcing herself to focus on the wall, tracing every small detail and memorizing its surface. It kept that horrible little whisper at bay, at least for a while. By the time she was back in the bar, the place was hopping. Everyone had come up to celebrate the open roads, many back from similar celebrations the next town over. The sheer amount of people and pace of work kept Blake’s mind from wandering again, and she tucked the upcoming conversation with Yang aside for now. 

When the night was finally over and Yang had kicked everybody out, they were sitting at the bar, thoroughly exhausted. After a long moment, Yang said, “So, road’s open.”

“Yeah, it is,” Blake muttered, staring at her hard iced tea as Yang finished cleaning up. 

“What are you gonna do?”

“I dunno yet,” Blake admitted before taking a big gulp of her drink. “Not sure what I want to do yet.”

“But you want to stay, right?” Yang asked, her voice almost pleading. Blake nodded quickly as she took another sip, the alcohol loosening her lips.

“Yes, of course I do,” she said before realising that Yang had more to say, more to ask.

“And…what do you want from me?” she asked quietly and Blake furrowed her brow in confusion. “I mean, we’ve been...getting close, right? I’m not imagining that, am I?”

“We are close,” Blake murmured, wishing that Yang was close enough to reach out and grab hold of one of her hands. “Closer than I’ve been with anyone in a long time.”

“Me too,” Yang muttered. She slammed the fridge shut after restocking it for the next day and let out a heavy sigh before moving onto the next task. “If you were gonna be with someone, what would you want from that?” It felt like Yang was probing her for answers, trying to figure something out. Blake felt like a jigsaw puzzle with too many pieces that could fit in too many places. She could only hope that Yang put the pieces in the right order.

"I just want...something soft," Blake muttered, tucking her arms tighter around herself, her drink forgotten.

"Soft?" Yang asked as she placed a rack of clean glasses underneath the counter. 

"Yeah. I've been tough my whole life, and I'm tired of it." Blake hadn't really thought about the words before she said them, but the moment they were in the air she knew they were true.

Yang pursed her lips as she studied Blake and, not for the first time, Blake wished she could read the blonde's mind. Those lilac eyes held so many secrets, so many hidden thoughts that Blake would give anything to uncover. "Strange thing for a biker to say, isn't it?"

"Not as much as you might think," Blake said with a laugh that sounded forced even to herself, "My friend Ilia has a huge tulip garden, but she'll kick your teeth in if you look at her wrong."

"Sounds like my kind of woman."

That stung, though Blake could see that Yang hadn't meant it to. "Maybe I'm that kind of woman, too."

"Blake, babe, you have a stuffed cat hanging off your bike that you sleep with and you just said you want something soft," Yang teased gently, as though she could tell how close Blake was to breaking. The idea scared her, far more than she wanted to admit. Blake had learned long ago to keep her emotions tucked to her chest. If Yang could see them, then there was the chance that she could turn them to her advantage, use them against Blake.

Blake resisted the urge to physically shake the thoughts away. She knew that Yang wouldn't do that, she wasn't...him. Even now, months after his arrest, he still haunted her every step. Maybe this was a chance to finally get out from under his shadow. "Yeah, and what's that got to do with it? I taught Ilia everything she knows about kicking in teeth."

Yang hummed appreciatively and racked another series of glasses, the last of the night. Or morning, rather, as the clock on the far side of the bar read three AM. "Really?"

"Really," Blake said and suddenly a rush of courage flooded her heart and she pushed through the doubt and fear that swirled around her like a storm, "The next time someone starts making trouble, I'll throw 'em out for you." That made Yang laugh and she leaned on the bar across from Blake.

"I'll take you up on that," she said, then suddenly her expression changed. Where once she had been cocky, now there was a flash of uncertainty. As soon as it had appeared, it was gone, almost so quickly that Blake thought she had imagined it. "So you mean it? You're sticking around?"

"For a little while, yeah." As soon as she said that, Blake knew it was the wrong thing to say. Yang pushed off the bar and turned to the rows of bottles, busying herself with organizing the already perfect rack of drinks. In the mirror behind the bottles, Blake could see that Yang had set her jaw and her lips were a thin line. 

"Don't you have a cross continental road trip to finish?" The words were conversational, a forced casualness in Yang's voice. Blake could hear the undertone, the hurried attempt to push off any kind of emotional attachment.

"The continent's not going anywhere," Blake said with a shrug, pushing her own voice into a conversational tone.

"But you are," Yang muttered, clearly in a way that wasn't meant for Blake to hear. When Yang raised her voice again in order to be heard, she said, "You better not stay around too long. Riding in late spring's real nasty with all the rainstorms."

"I don't mind. Who knows, the storms might make me stay even longer."

"I'll make you start paying rent if you stay that long."

Blake's face fell and she leaned back to hide her expression from the mirror. Only a few minutes earlier the threat of rent would have been a joke, but now it had a darker meaning. Yang was trying to get her to leave now, to scare her off. It was a defense mechanism, a way to sever their ties without having to face what those ties really meant.

"Hey, you in there?" Yang said waving gently at Blake and snapping her out of her reverie.

Blake forced a smile onto her face and nodded. "Sure am. I got some money laying around, don't you worry about rent," Blake said, trying to convey in her words the same level of emotion that Yang had in hers. She wanted to say that she was going to be there for Yang, that she  _ wanted  _ to be there for Yang. Blake would put off her trip across the continent for the rest of her life if it meant that she would never see that fallen expression on Yang's face again. She didn't think that she'd done a very good job. Yang's smile as she turned around was painfully fake, like it had been painted on.

"You should've said something, I would've been charging you the whole time." Yang threw her arms up and yawned heavily, though Blake had spent enough late nights with the blonde to know what a real yawn looked like for her. This was another move in the chess game, another plot to push Blake away. "We'll talk about it tomorrow. I'm heading to bed. You mind getting the lights for me?"

"Sure," Blake muttered, forcing herself to meet Yang's eyes.

"Appreciate it. Night Blake." With that, Yang headed behind the bar, then up the stairs to her loft.

Blake sighed and drummed her fingers on the bar in thought. Now that there was a moment to think, she didn’t really want to continue traveling. Not unless Yang wanted to come with her, at least, but she knew that Yang would never give up her bar. She clenched her hand into a fist, as though that would make her decision more real. Blake was going to stick around, help Yang out around the bar, and be the best partner that she could be, if Yang would allow it. The wonderful woman needed somebody here, someone permanent. 

As Blake got the lights around the bar, making sure that everything was tucked away neatly even though Yang had already expertly cleaned up her establishment, she walked with the solid footsteps of finality. She wasn’t going anywhere. As far as she was concerned, the bar was her home now.

At least, if Yang would let her stay. Hell, Blake would pay any amount of rent if she got to stick around, but if Yang pushed her away, then…

Blake shook her head firmly. That wasn’t going to happen, it wouldn't come to that. She was going to prove to Yang that she was a good person, that she wouldn’t abandon her. Yang had been left behind by so many people. Blake swore to herself that she would never be one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got so caught up writing other things and doing stuff around the house that I almost forgot to update!  
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Comments are always appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the rockslide is cleared, Blake and Yang have a serious discussion and develop a new dimension to their relationship.

Yang was noticeably subdued the next day. She still cracked jokes and smiled whenever Blake would laugh, but that wasn’t the same. She looked like she was elsewhere, as though she was wrestling with something just beyond her kind exterior. Blake didn’t ask what was wrong, she wasn’t doing much better.

So they worked in a strange silence that day, preparing everything for the evening rush. Yang had thrown together a tuna casserole the day before, which Blake picked at over the course of the day. Like everything else Yang made, it was delicious, though Blake kept a careful eye on it to make sure that she wasn’t the only one having any. By the time the clock rolled around to one thirty, Blake was certain that Yang hadn’t eaten all day.

Blake leaned over the bar, watching for a moment as Yang restocked the fruit garnishes. Once she was finished, Blake said, “Yang, have you eaten anything today?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah,” Yang said absentmindedly, pushing the garnishes back into the fridge. She leaned back onto her hands and looked up at Blake, as if seeing her for the first time that day. 

“Really?” Blake asked slowly, gesturing at the tuna casserole. Yang’s fork was unblemished, still sitting where she had left it when she brought out the casserole earlier that day.

Yang looked like she was about to wave away Blake’s concern when she sighed and shook her head. “No, not really. I’m not hungry.”

“You will be tonight if you don’t have something now,” Blake said softly. She reached out and dragged the casserole over until it was clearly within Yang’s view. “C’mon, let’s take a little break.”

“I’m fine, Blake. I’ll eat later,” Yang muttered and pushed herself to her feet. Blake frowned as she felt the walls around Yang rising again, rebuilt by steady, practiced hands. “You can take a break if you want, I’ve got some more things to do.”

Yang began to walk away and Blake felt a cold hand of dread collapse her heart, crushing that feeble hope of consistency that she had begun to nurture. There was nothing for it, the words had to come out now. Without them, without Yang’s light, Blake didn’t feel like she would ever be able to recover from the horrible pain she had escaped. She pushed herself off the bar, standing as steadily as she could, and called out after Yang just before the blonde vanished into the back. “I don’t want to leave.”

Yang froze in the doorway, her grip turning white as she stood there. After a long moment, she glanced over her shoulder at Blake, her eyes wild with fear and desperation. She didn’t speak, Blake thought that maybe she couldn’t speak right then, and so Blake spoke instead.

“I want to stay here, with you, if you’ll let me. I...I’m happy here. I know it didn’t seem like it last night, I know I said I was only gonna be around for a little while, but I like being here, I like working here.” Blake paused for a moment and bit her lip, forcing the rest of her words to come out of her mouth. “I like being with you.”

Yang stared at her, mouth gaping wide as she tried to comprehend what she’d heard. Her jaw flapped in a poor effort to form words, until her grip gave out and she stumbled backwards into the bar. Blake ran over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, carefully leading her over to a barstool. Yang sat heavily, breathing hard as she stared in shock at Blake. 

Blake grabbed a glass of water, gently sliding it into Yang’s hand, then sat next to her, watching her reactions carefully. “Yang? Are you okay?”

“Y-you-you wanna-” Yang stammered, then took a long drink of water. The cold from the water seemed to calm her down, a shock to her senses from the chill. She let out a long breath as she finished, and her grip on the glass began to slacken just a bit. “You want to stay?”

“Yes,” Blake said firmly, and Yang took a sharp breath. 

“Why?” she asked and Blake could see in Yang’s eyes the same kind of fear, the same distrust that Blake often had in her own. It was deep rooted, primal, entwined with everything else that Yang was. But if Yang could help Blake overcome her fear, perhaps Blake could help Yang do the same. 

“Because of you, Yang. You make me happy. This place makes me happy.”

“B-but your trip-”

“It can wait,” Blake said softly, “It can wait forever.”

“You don’t mean that,” Yang muttered bitterly and Blake reached out a hand, taking Yang’s in her own.

“I do. Yang, you said you were never going to lie to me. I’m not gonna lie to you either.”

Yang stared at Blake’s hand for a moment in wonder and confusion, then asked, “So...what? You’re willing to give up your whole trip for a country hick and her bar?”

“As long as you’re willing to put up with a city girl and her bike,” Blake said quietly and Yang laughed softly, but it was real, the humor was there.

“That’s not-It’s not putting up with you. Gods, you-you make this place so much better,” Yang murmured, flipping over her hand and giving Blake’s a squeeze. “I didn’t know that I was lonely before you came.”

Blake’s breath caught in her throat and she couldn’t respond for a moment, only able to form words when she saw Yang’s expression. The hurt and pain had rolled away in place of passion, truth, and love. That’s what it was, there was no denying it now, love. Blake was in love, real love, with someone who would never hurt her and would love her back. It would have seemed impossible if it wasn’t happening right in front of her. 

“So what now?” Yang asked softly and Blake shrugged.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been in this situation before. I guess...you wanna go for a ride? We can watch the sunset.”

Yang laughed to herself and hopped off the stool, then turned to offer a hand to Blake. “Sounds pretty romantic.”

“Only if you want it to be,” Blake said quietly, smiling as gently as she was able. She wanted Yang to say yes, but knew that pushing for it would be too much. They were both on edge, even now. This love, whatever it would become, had to grow on its own. 

“Maybe,” Yang muttered, more to herself than to Blake, “We’ll see what happens. C’mon, I know some good spots.” As they headed out the door, Yang looked over her shoulder in thought, then shrugged and led the way to Blake’s bike. The two hopped on, and soon they were careening down the road. 

Yang’s directions led them up a small dirt road off the way to town and then up into a rocky clearing between the brush and mountain rises. Blake gasped as she looked out over the view before them. The entire Vacuan desert stretched out ahead of them and beyond, a faint glimmer of Vacuo City itself. The sun was twirling towards the horizon, still an hour or so from sunset proper, but that was just fine. They had time to sit around and relax before the main event. 

Yang plopped down onto a rock with a satisfied grunt, grinning up at Blake as she approached. “What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful,” Blake said quietly, almost reverently, and Yang nodded happily.

“Ruby found this place a few years ago. We come up here to eat dinner sometimes.”

“Your sister?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s she like?” Blake asked.

Yang laughed and there was a faraway look in her eyes as she gazed out over the desert. “She’s amazing. Got more energy than anybody else I’ve ever met, too. She’s friendly, wants to be best friends with everyone she meets.” Yang’s smile grew as she spoke and only more so when Blake sat down next to her. “There was this one girl she went to school with, Weiss, who couldn’t stand Rubes at first, but Ruby’s determined and she didn’t give up. I dunno how she did it, but they’re pretty much inseparable now.”

“That’s impressive,” Blake murmured and Yang nodded.

“She is impressive. Best in her class, track and field star, the whole shebang.”

“You must be proud.”

“I am,” Yang said softly, her gaze dropping just a hair, “She’s a good kid, a whole lot better than I was. Glad she didn’t take after me too much, you know?”

“What do you mean?” Blake asked quietly, afraid that she might be overstepping. Yang didn’t respond for a moment, but she didn’t get upset either. Her gaze was still far off, back in whatever past she was envisioning, back in Vale. 

“I got involved in some bad shit back home,” Yang muttered, “It’s kinda why I’m out here.”

“Oh,” Blake said and Yang cast her a nervous glance, as though she were afraid of what Blake would think. Blake did her best to give Yang the same glance that she had received when she was talking about Shroud, gentle and kind, with no judgement. The sight of it calmed Yang down and she let out a breath of relief.

“That’s enough about me, we’ve talked about me all day.” Blake snorted with laughter at that and Yang’s grin returned. “What about you? Why do you have that knife?”

“This?” Blake said, drawing her knife out and flipping it a few times, “It was a gift from my mom back when-” She considered letting the phrase go, or coming up with an innocent sounding alternative that wouldn't technically be lying, but that would be a poor show of faith in her relationship with Yang. “When I ran off,” she finished and now it was her time to glance over nervously, only to find the same comforting expression on Yang.

“You ran away from home?” Yang asked softly and Blake nodded.

“Yeah. A real piece of shit guy got me to do it,” Blake admitted. This was the first time she’d told anyone about that, about Adam, outside of her parents, her best friend Ilia, and her therapist back in Kuo Kuana. “I think my mom knew he was awful. She gave me the knife to protect myself.”

Yang was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Did you ever...you know…”

“Use it? No, never,” Blake said quietly, sheathing her knife, “I mean, I flashed it a few times to scare people but I never attacked anybody with it.”

“Gotcha.”

“Like I said, real piece of shit guy,” Blake grumbled and Yang chuckled quietly, “He was...involved in some shady stuff.”

“Like the Malachites,” Yang muttered.

“Yeah, like them.”

“Were you involved in it?” Yang asked and Blake cocked her head to the side in thought.

“No...not directly. I guess I was his arm candy more than a partner.” The words were more bitter than she had meant for them to be, but she meant every piece of that hatred towards Adam. 

“Gods alive,” Yang growled, and Blake looked over, a lance of fear piercing her body. But Yang’s anger wasn’t towards her, it was directed out over the desert towards whatever specter of a man she thought Adam to be. “How old were you?”

“When it started? Fourteen.”

“Fucking hell, Blake,” Yang said aghast, her mouth falling open in shock. “He...he didn’t…”

“Not then, anyway,” Blake muttered, then squeaked as Yang wrapped her up in a hug. She leaned into the hug, nestling her head in the crook of Yang’s neck.

“Blake...babe...I-I don’t know what to say,” Yang said quietly.

“It’s okay,” Blake started to say, only for Yang to shake her head firmly.

“No, no it isn’t. You should never have had to do that,” she said and Blake sighed heavily, leaning into Yang so much that there was no more space between them. 

“I know.”

“Good. If anyone tries to fuck with you again, let me know,” Yang growled protectively, “I’ll straighten ‘em out.”

“Thanks, Yang,” Blake whispered, and nuzzled her head against Yang’s chin. “Right back at you. We can watch each other’s backs.”

Yang hummed softy in thought, then nodded and Blake could feel her smile. “I like that idea. I really do.”

They held one another in contented silence for another few minutes until Blake grunted, “This has been a pretty depressing day, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, a bit,” Yang said with a snort of laughter. She frowned for a moment, then nodded firmly. “Maybe we shouldn't open up tonight. We can just relax, finally watch the rest of those movies.”

“They came in?” Blake said, sitting upright in excitement with her arms still around Yang.

“Yeah, before you woke up. I didn’t get a chance to say anything earlier cause...you know,” Yang said with a sheepish smile. Blake nuzzled against her again and Yang laughed before hugging her tighter. 

“Let’s watch the sunset and then go watch those movies,” Blake said and Yang nodded happily, “And you’re eating something for dinner.” Yang groaned in protest and Blake laughed loudly, the sound piercing the still air around them and pushing the fog clouds of sadness and fear aside. Tonight they would laugh and be happy, and Blake couldn’t wait for it. 

The sunset was by far the most beautiful that Blake had ever seen, an immaculate tapestry of reds, oranges, yellows, purples, blues, and pinks, all contrasted by the sharp tan of the desert. As the sun dipped below the horizon, they stood and made their way back to Blake’s bike, the temperature dropping fast. As they soared back to the bar Blake wished she had brought a jacket, but the comforting warmth of Yang pressed against her kept the chill at bay. There was none of the trepidation of their first meeting, now Yang clung on firmly to Blake’s waist and even leaned against her as they rode. She said it was to make them more aerodynamic, but Blake had a sneaking suspicion that she wanted that contact as much as Blake did. 

They collapsed onto Yang’s bed and splayed out as the fourth  _ Beowulf Strikes _ movie started to play, a heaping portion of tuna casserole, a sleeve of crackers, and some freshly roasted vegetables in between them. Blake made a show of watching Yang eat, nodding in satisfaction every time she took a bite of food. Of course, it got to the point where Yang was too busy trying not to laugh at Blake’s overly enthusiastic reactions to eat anything, and the entire situation devolved into laughter. Soon the movie was forgotten in wake of their laughing together and just enjoying each other’s company.

“C’mon, just a few more bites,” Blake said, leaning towards Yang with some casserole spread over a cracker. 

“Make me,” Yang teased lightly, placing her hands behind her head and smirking up at Blake.

Blake grinned devilishly and reached out one hand, cupping Yang’s cheek. Yang shivered at the contact, but her smirk didn’t fade, so Blake went one step further. She reached out and gently ran her thumb over Yang’s lips. That made Yang gasp in surprise and Blake took her chance, gently shoving the cracker into Yang’s mouth. 

Yang burst into laughter, almost choking as she tried to laugh and eat at the same time. After she swallowed heavily she said, “That’s cheating.”

“You said make me, so I did,” Blake said with a self satisfied shrug. Yang grumbled to herself for a moment, then said,

“You’re gonna have to try harder than that if you wanna pull that off again.”

“Really?” Blake murmured softly and Yang nodded slowly, her eyes widening as she heard the slightly predatory growl in Blake’s voice.

“Y-yeah,” Yang stammered, her confidence giving way to a heavy blush. Blake nestled in closer and lay her head down next to Yang’s, another cracker ready to go.

“So...something like this?” Blake asked quietly, then leaned forwards and nibbled Yang’s ear. The blonde gasped again and her blush only grew deeper. Blake was about to try and give her another cracker when Yang turned her head and gently placed a kiss on Blake’s cheek. 

Now it was Blake’s turn to gasp and she rolled fully onto her side so they were face to face. Yang laughed nervously and hesitantly reached out a hand to cup Blake’s cheek. “Sorry,” she muttered, “I’ve never done this before.”

“That’s okay,” Blake said quietly, staring into Yang’s beautiful lilac eyes. “We don’t have to...do anything if you don’t want to.”

“No, I do,” Yang said quickly, “I just don’t know...how?”

“Oh,” Blake said with a small laugh, “I’ll teach you.” She leaned in and gently pressed her lips against Yang’s. Yang melted into the kiss with a soft moan and wrapped an arm around Blake’s waist, dragging her in closer. She returned the kiss with reverent gusto, like one might sprint around a quiet, secluded pond. Blake smiled into the kiss. It was so much softer, so much more tender than any kiss she’d ever had with Adam. Adam’s lips had been hard and calloused, with splits and scars from too many fights, but Yang’s were soft and giving, welcoming and kind like everything else about Yang. 

Soon all that mattered was the kissing, and within a few minutes Blake had rolled them over, straddling Yang as they kissed. All she could see, all she could smell, all she could think about was Yang, the movie long forgotten. The hours rolled by in an instant, and Blake wouldn’t have spent them any other way. 

As the credits rolled, Blake glanced over and frowned in disappointment. “We missed it?”

“We were a bit busy,” Yang said, wiping a bunch of crumbs off her chest. She reached up and smiled as she ran a finger over her lips. “Gods, we really did that.”

“Yeah we did,” Blake said, laying down next to Yang again. “Is that okay? We’re moving kinda fast.”

“Oh,” Yang said in confusion, “I didn’t-I mean, I’ve never been in a relationship before. Are they usually slower than this?”

“I think it depends. My friend Pyrrha said that she and her girlfriend didn’t kiss for weeks, but my parents got married six months after they met.” Blake furrowed her brow in thought. “I guess...sometimes you just know.”

Yang stared at her softly, reaching out to run a finger down Blake’s cheek. Blake shivered and nuzzled into the touch, pressing their foreheads together. “What about us?”

“I know that I want this,” Blake said after a long moment of consideration, “It’s fast, but you’re good to me. Good for me, I think.”

“Yeah. I think so too,” Yang said, then hurriedly added, “I-I mean, I think that you’re good for me.” Blake laughed softly, then let out a happy sigh. 

“I’m glad.”

“Me too.”

Yang’s phone went off and she rolled over to get it with an annoyed groan. She glanced at it and sighed. “It’s my sister.”

“Do you want me to go?” Blake asked and Yang smiled sheepishly.

“Do you mind? She’d freak out if she knew about us.”

Blake rolled off the bed and smiled broadly to make sure that Yang knew it was okay. “I don’t mind at all. It’s getting late, anyways.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, babe,” Yang said and Blake kissed her lightly on the cheek before she slipped down the stairs, the same happy smile still spread across her face. That night, the whisper had no power. It howled and raged, but Blake heard none of it. Her thoughts were still up in Yang’s loft as she fell asleep with Shroud, still snuggled up to the most wonderful woman in the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Backstory? In my found family? It's more likely than you think.  
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter!  
> Comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jacubesilvora  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakobretheKitty


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the wake of the confession of their feelings, Blake and Yang find themselves falling deeper into love and deeper into trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some violence in this chapter, including some blood, so be careful everyone!

“Another two whiskeys, babe!” 

“On it!”

Blake and Yang were a furious dervish of motion and melody, dancing around one another as they worked. Even as Blake fetched four beers and placed them on a tray, she slid a rum and coke to Velvet, while Yang poured out two whiskeys and gave them to her before turning back to greet a pair of new customers. Blake was a blur as she slipped between the tables and chairs like smoke, chatting happily with customers as she moved. In the beginning she had been slow and halting, but now she could move across the crowded bar like it was an empty room. Fortunately she had spilled something a few nights previous, otherwise she would’ve been too worried about screwing up to work properly. It was a fallacy, magical thinking at its finest, but Blake allowed herself little things like that. In the wake of her and Yang finally deciding to try being together, the world was full of beautiful possibilities. 

Coco had caught on first, though she had done so mainly because Blake and Yang called each other ‘babe’ almost more than their names at this point. It was quick and easy when they were working, who else would Blake be referring to? The devilish grin of realization that spread across Coco’s face when she saw how close Yang and Blake were was almost frightening. She had wasted no time in grilling Yang about their budding relationship and had asked them out on a double date with her and Velvet in the same breath. Yang, only half listening as she fought back a blush of embarrassment, had agreed without a second thought. Of course she’d discussed it with Blake later, and Blake thought it was a lovely idea. 

That was one of the little things that Yang did that set Blake at ease. Getting into a relationship after Adam hadn’t sat well with her at first, even two weeks after their first kiss, but Yang was so gentle it was hard to be cold towards her. Every decision she made that might affect Blake, she discussed with her. Every customer who leered at Blake, Yang was there to set them straight and vice versa as well. It was the fact that Yang cared enough to consider Blake in everything that really stood out. No one, not even her parents, had been so considerate before. 

Her parents especially hadn’t been happy with Blake’s decision, but as she was on the other side of the world there was little they could do. Besides, Blake had assured them that if things started to get bad she could just ride off. Not that she thought it would come to that, Yang would never hurt her like Adam had. Blake knew that for a fact, the same way that she knew her bike. It was instinctual, something that she knew without even having to question how. 

Blake was brought out of her reverie by another order for beer and soon she was floating between the tables and chairs as she worked. Yang was happily chatting with Yatsu and Fox, a broad smile on her face as she worked. She absentmindedly threw together another pair of drinks, with as much ease as she might breathe or walk, and sent them towards their respective customers without so much as a glance. She was in a good mood tonight, and she had every reason to be. Her sister was coming to visit the next week, after all. 

That had been a bit of a shock to Blake, more at the idea of having to give up her room than the idea of meeting Yang’s sibling. On top of that, Ruby was bringing her friend Weiss on what she called a ‘best friends road trip’. It wasn’t much of a road trip, at least not compared to Blake’s, just a rented car from Vacuo City up to the bar and back. Between the driving and flying from Vale, Blake estimated that Ruby and Weiss would be around for four days max. That was just fine, it was about all she thought she could handle anyway.

Still, Yang was ecstatic, openly bragging about how well her sister was doing in school and how proud she was. “Swear to the gods, Yatsu,” Yang said, one hand over her heart, “she’s the fastest woman alive. Sub four minute mile and everything.”

Yatsu grunted good naturedly at that and Fox raised his eyebrows appreciatively. “She’ll be here next week?” Fox asked and Yang’s smile broadened.

“Sure will. You can challenge her to a race if you wanna lose.”

Fox snorted and shook his head, “Not me, but I bet Coco might. Hey, Coco!” He turned to look in the general direction he knew Coco to be and his friend leaned around Velvet to see him. Coco had quite a few lipstick marks on her cheek already. Apparently Velvet got snuggly when she was drunk. 

“What’s up, Fox?” Coco asked and Fox did a poor job of hiding his devious grin.

“Yang’s saying that her sister’s the fastest woman alive. You gonna let that stand?”

Immediately Coco puffed up her chest and huffed, “Fastest woman alive, give me a break.  _ I’m _ the fastest woman alive. Fifty Lien says I can beat your sister in a race.”

“Okay,” Yang said with a smirk dripping so much confidence that Coco shrank back a hair, “You’re on.” Of course, Coco’s confidence in herself was well founded. She was, as she had said nearly a dozen times, the five time Southwest Vale Steeplechase Champion. Blake had seen videos of her races, and Coco always left the competition in the dust while looking ridiculously fashionable doing it. But, from what Yang had said about Ruby, the younger woman had won nearly every competition she entered, regardless of distance. Blake knew who her money was on.

Slowly the bar filtered out as the night carried on, and Blake found herself next to Velvet as the main floor was empty.

“So...so yous an’ Yang…” Velvet slurred softly with a dopey smile, “Yous...togever?”

Blake chuckled softly and said, “Sure seems like it.”

“Tha’s good...you seems like a good person,” Velvet mumbled, leaning heavily into Coco’s side. The other woman wrapped her arm around Velvet protectively, keeping her upright as she handled their not inconsiderable tab. 

“I try,” Blake mumbled, more to herself than Velvet, but Velvet’s ears perked up and she nodded sagely, an intelligent light shining through her drunken stupor.

“You’re doing good, Blake,” she said softly, “Real good.” With that she stood, with help from Coco, and stumbled towards the door. Soon it was just Yang and Blake left in the bar, and it was only one in the morning.

“Slow night,” Blake said cheerfully and Yang snorted with laughter.

“I think Velvet made up for it. That woman drinks like a fish, I swear, her and Coco.”

“Gotta pay rent somehow, right?” Blake teased gently and Yang laughed again, then leaned on the bar so her and Blake were only a few inches apart.

“Yeah, I guess. If it stays this quiet for another half hour or so, you wanna close up early? We can watch something,” she asked and Blake nodded, a happy smile spreading across her face. “You mind if I pick?”

“No, you have good taste.”

“By default, yes.”

“The  _ Beowulf Strikes _ movies are cinematic masterpieces, fuck you,” Blake said in mock offense.

“Yeah, okay babe whatever you say. How about tonight we start that miniseries you were telling me about?  _ Ninjas of Love _ , right?”

“Oh gods,” Blake choked out between laughing, “It’s more like a porn than a miniseries.” The television adaptation had, in Blake’s opinion, focused too much on the love triangle and not on the plot to overthrow a corrupt dictator. “How about  _ The Man with Two Souls _ ?"

“That one’s...okay,” Yang said in a noncommittal manner, “The original version was better.”

“Obviously,” Blake snorted derisively, “I would never watch that trash remake.”

Yang swooned dramatically, leaning heavily on her hands, “Go on, Blake, tell me more about that trash remake. Your taste in movies is just overwhelming.” Blake snickered at that, and reached up to stroke Yang’s cheek. Yang hummed softly and leaned into the touch, then jolted upright, her face shifting into the friendly smile of customer service. “Melanie, Miltia, how are you tonight?”

“Pissed,” Melanie snarled, “Get our usuals.”

“Please,” Miltia muttered under her breath. Even if neither Yang nor Melanie heard it, Blake’s ear twitched subtly in response. Miltia’s eyes narrowed as she studied Blake, as though unsure of what she had seen, but she let it go without incident. 

Within moments Yang had their drinks ready to go and the two sat down at the bar next to Blake. They drank in uncomfortable silence for a long moment, Melanie downing her entire pint glass in seconds. She slammed the glass back onto the bar and slid it towards Yang without a word. 

Blake felt the piercing green eyes studying her before Melanie spoke. “Hey.” 

“Hi,” Blake said stonily, falling back on years of instinct when it came to ignoring unwanted advances from strangers.

“Don’t be like that,” Melanie said, leaning towards Blake, “Come with us. I can show you a good time back at our club.”

“I’m fine,” Blake hissed, but Melanie was undeterred. She reached out to stroke Blake’s ears and Blake reacted before she even knew what she was doing, smacking the woman’s hand away and glaring at her openly. “Back off.”

Melanie’s gaze hardened, even as her sister’s softed with fear. “All right, bitch. Have it your way.” She snatched her drink off the bar and stormed out, leaving Miltia behind. The twin in white sighed and shook her head, tossing more than enough Lien down to cover the drinks.

“Sorry about her. She’s stressed out,” Miltia said apologetically, but neither Yang nor Blake wanted to give her the benefit of accepting that apology. 

“She can be stressed out somewhere else,” Blake grumbled and suddenly Yang shot her a look that said something along the lines of ‘Don’t push this. Please’.

Miltia didn’t have nearly as strong a reaction, only sighing again and pushing herself off the bar. As she left Yang groaned and leaned heavily on the bar.

“What? What’d I do?” Blake asked quietly, and suddenly the whisper was back in full force, howling her failures in her ears.

“Nothing, hopefully,” Yang muttered, “You didn’t know. They should let it go.”

“Know? Know what?”

“Melanie and Miltia work for the guy I rent this place from. If they go blabbing about being mistreated, he’ll hike my rent again. I can barely afford this place as it is.”

“Oh gods, Yang,” Blake gasped, a cold hand of fear twisting her guts into a knot, “I-I didn’t know, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“It’s fine, Blake,” Yang said, looking up with a gentle smile, “It’s fine. If something happens, we’ll deal with it, okay? It’s been a good past few weeks, we should have more than enough to wait him out.” She reached over and grabbed Blake’s hand tenderly, giving her a squeeze of reassurance. “It’ll be fine. She was out of line, anyway.”

Blake forced herself to let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, you’re right. We’ll be fine.” Yang nodded firmly and Blake almost found herself believing it. But she knew people like Melanie Malachite. They never let things like this go.

It turned out that Melanie wanted her revenge sooner rather than later. As Blake stepped out the back door towards her room, the bar cleaned and Yang was already up in her loft after the movie, a fist collided with her face. Immediately she shrieked and fell away, images of Adam flashing into her mind. He was here, he was going to kill her for getting him arrested!

But then the form of Melanie Malachite appeared in the light from the bar, a furious snarl on her face. “Shut up!” she hissed, and kicked Blake hard in the stomach. Blake doubled over in pain, whimpering, as Melanie knelt down and leaned in close. “You wanna get snippy with me again, kitty cat? Go ahead, see what happens.” Melanie was so close that they were almost kissing, Blake could feel the woman’s breath on her cheek.

Perfect. 

Blake snatched up her knife and lashed out. She felt the blade sink into flesh and tear away and Melanie reared back with a howl. Miltia screamed “Melanie!” even as Blake leveled her knife at the twins, but Melanie was faster. 

Suddenly Melanie had her gun in her hands and Blake froze. “Drop the knife,” she growled and Blake let it fall from her stiff fingers. Melanie knelt down next to her, pressing the cold barrel against Blake’s forehead. “You like how that feels? Yeah? You like that, you little bitch?”

“Melanie, that’s enough. She gets it,” Miltia said, but this time it was firmer, more commanding, but her sister ignored her.

“You wanna cut me again?” Melanie hissed, gesturing with her free hand at the long, bleeding cut on her cheek, “Go ahead, try it. Go on, kitty cat!” Blake couldn’t breathe, she could only stare at the gun pressed to her temple, at Melanie’s finger drifting dangerously towards the trigger.

“Melanie!” Miltia shouted and this time her twin turned around, her face twisting in shock as though seeing Miltia for the first time. “That’s enough, let’s  _ go _ .” Melanie snarled and stood, her gun vanishing back into her waistband. She extended a finger towards Blake, as though she were about to threaten her again, but Miltia grabbed her by the arm and yanked her away around the corner. A few moments later their car roared away, leaving Blake alone in the light from the bar.

Footsteps thundered down the stairs and Yang burst out the door, making Blake shriek again and begin to scramble away. “Blake! Blake, it’s me!” Yang said as quickly and gently as she could. It took Blake a moment to focus on Yang, to realize that it was her wonderful bartender in front of her and not someone who would hurt her. She let out a strangled cry and flung herself at Yang, burying her face into the woman’s chest. “It’s okay, you’re safe now,” Yang cooed, “You’re safe.” 

Blake sniffled and hugged Yang tighter as they sat there in the light of the bar, drinking in Yang’s warmth and comfort. “She...she was…” Blake couldn’t finish the sentence, but Yang understood.

“Melanie?”

Blake nodded.

“That little-” Yang began to snarl, her eyes flashing red for a moment, then cut herself off. “Sorry. No time for that. C’mon, let’s get inside.” Blake let Yang help her up and lead her back into the bar. They stood awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs to the loft for a moment until Yang said, “Would you like to sleep up in the loft with me? I...I’d feel safer if you were there.”

“Me too,” Blake mumbled, “Just gotta get Shroud.” She needed that little cat right now, to pour her pain and fear into. 

“I’ll get her,” Yang said softly, “Let’s get you upstairs, okay?” Soon Blake was wrapped up in blankets and laying on her side as she watched Yang return with Shroud. The moment that Yang offered the plush panther to Blake, she snatched her away and hugged the cat to herself, fighting back tears. Yang lay down next to her, smiling gently, her warmth permeating the blankets and even Blake’s fearful anxiety. “I’ll be right here, okay? If you need something.”

“Okay,” Blake mumbled again, then Yang got the light. Despite everything that had happened, with so much warmth and the protective feeling of Yang being so close, Blake felt herself drift off to sleep in moments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The real trouble finally begins! But at least Ruby's on the way.  
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jacubesilvora  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakobretheKitty


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake and Yang return to their normal lives as best they can, when a pair of friendly faces arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Abuse mention in this chapter! Be careful everyone.

Even as Blake woke up, she knew that Melanie Malachite would be back. She wasn’t the kind of person to let things go, no matter how much her sister tried to rein her in. All Blake could do now was snuggle up closer to Yang and try to ignore it. 

It was fortunate that Yang was so warm and that her snores rumbled the entire bed. It was comforting, calming even as Blake’s mind was a tumult of horror and fear. Laying next to Yang, she could almost pretend that everything was going to be okay, but she knew better. The next time Melanie showed up, Blake had to be ready. She wasn’t going to be caught off guard again. 

Yang mumbled something in her sleep and rolled over, one arm lazily slinging over Blake’s shoulders and holding her close. Blake sighed and nestled her head in the crook of Yang’s neck, breathing deeply to calm herself. Yang smelled like oranges. It was a strange thing to draw comfort from, but right now Blake was happy to find anything that might help her. Shroud was squished between them, nestling so the little cat’s head was poking up between their arms. Blake smiled down at the plush panther, feeling that little reserve of Yang’s love filling up again. No matter what happened, she was going to have that little cat. 

And Yang. As they lay there in bed, the sun piercing through the small circular window and shining into Yang’s eyes, Blake swore to herself that she would never go anywhere without Yang. 

“Mornin’,” Yang mumbled, her lilac eyes fluttering open. She smiled softly at Blake, and suddenly the cold horror of the night before didn’t seem so awful.

“Morning,” Blake said, then leaned forwards and planted a soft kiss on Yang’s forehead. Yang hummed softly at the contact and nuzzled her head against Blake’s. They lay there in contented silence for a while, neither one wanting to get up, until Yang’s stomach growled hungrily. Yang groaned and shot a glare towards her gut, which made Blake laugh softly. “C’mon babe, let’s get some breakfast.”

The pair stumbled downstairs and Yang began to throw together some scrambled eggs while Blake made some coffee for Yang and tea for herself. In the normal hustle and bustle of the morning, Blake almost forgot how horrible last night had been. It wasn’t like other times, when the casual day to day had seemed like a lie in the wake of such horror. With Yang, Blake knew that she was safe. The cruelty of people like Melanie Malachite couldn’t touch her as long as Yang was nearby. 

They ate at the bar, casually talking about what they needed to do to get ready for the evening and plotting out a nice place in the mountains for a quiet lunch. As the conversation turned to Blake’s bike, Yang smiled sheepishly and said,

“I don’t mean to be rude, but your bike...she’s seen better days.”

“She runs fine,” Blake waved away the comment, proud to note that Yang had taken up her habit of referring to the bike as a she. 

“Yeah, but she could use some new paint. I know somebody in town, she’d do it for cheap,” Yang said between bites of eggs. Blake considered this for a moment, then shrugged.

“Maybe, if you finally take your truck into town.”

Yang sighed and shook her head with a rueful smile. “Yeah, I should do that, shouldn’t I? Wanna make that today’s adventure?”

“Sure.”

Soon the two were heading into town, Blake riding behind Yang to make sure she didn’t get lost, though admittedly, it would be hard to get lost on the one road that led into town. The town was like a slice of life from an era long past, all kitsch neon signs and brick buildings tucked away in a mountain glen. It was like something from those gangster movies that Blake’s father liked to watch, set sixty years ago in the seedy underbelly of Mantle, though there was nothing seedy about this place. 

Everyone was going about their days, children playing in the street, and people chatting idly on sidewalks and in front lawns. A few people were outside doing yard work, but most seemed to either be taking the day slowly or bustling to work. 

Yang led the way to the mechanic’s, a small three bay affair on the edge of town. It was busy, almost comically so considering how small the town was. Each bay was full and a pair of small gas pumps were in use on both sides. After parking their vehicles in a small dirt lot, the pair walked into the main building. A woman with shaggy brown hair and cunning blue eyes raked over a list on the desk in front of her, not even looking up as the open door rang a small bell. She was dressed in a ratty shirt and worse jeans, and her face was covered in grease and oil stains, her shirt torn up enough that Blake could see a quintet of scars on her stomach that looked suspiciously like stab wounds, but Yang didn’t seem perturbed by them. Clearly the woman didn’t care much either, as she made no move to hide them.

“Morning Vernal,” Yang said cheerfully and the woman sighed dramatically, glancing up at Yang.

“You finally killed the truck, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t kill her,” Yang protested, “She just got tired. Blake said it was overheating, but looks like it's worse than that.”

Vernal’s gaze flicked over to Blake, giving her a quick once over, then she turned back to Yang “I bet it is. That truck’s held together with duct tape and spit.” The woman flipped through her list, a frown growing as she did so. “I can get to it...by Wednesday. I’m booked solid until then.”

“Wednesday?” Yang muttered, scratching the back of her head awkwardly.

“Unless you want to take it to Merc’s place.”

“Gods no,” Yang said quickly and Vernal laughed. She leaned back and peered out the window at the truck, pursing her lips in thought. The truck was letting off steam even now.

“I’ll see what I can do, but you'll owe me if I can bump it up,” she said, then narrowed her eyes, “Who’s bike is that?”

“Mine,” Blake said quickly, her hackles rising instinctually at the thought of someone insulting her bike. Vernal noticed and smiled with amusement at Blake’s threat display.

“Good looking bike,” she said and Blake began to relax, “Could use some new paint.”

“Can you do that?” 

“Sure can. I can even get it done today, s’long as you know what you want.”

Blake considered that for a moment and frowned. It would be easy to just get a redo of what the bike had come with, but that wasn’t exactly indicative of the new life she had found here. No, she mused as she glanced at Yang, golden locks bobbing as she looked around the small office, something new was needed. 

“Can you redo the black parts and paint over the purple with yellow?” Blake asked and Vernal snorted softly as she penciled the bike into her schedule.

“Sure. Just leave the bike here. I assume I can give Yang a ring when it’s done?” Vernal asked and Blake nodded quickly, her cheeks flushing red. “Alright, I’ll let you know when you can come pick it back up. The truck stays,” she said firmly and Yang groaned softly before waving as she headed out the door, Blake only a step behind her. 

As they walked away from the mechanic’s and towards the town center, Yang asked, “So, black and yellow, huh?”

Blake flushed red again, the idea suddenly seeming much more ridiculous than it had a moment ago. “Y-yeah. I thought that...with me...and you...it’s dumb, I’ll go change it.” She started to turn around when Yang spoke again, her voice soft and gentle.

“No, it’s not dumb. It’s a good idea, like a bumblebee.”

“That’s a good name for a bike,” Blake said quietly and Yang nodded, a tender smile spreading across her face. She extended a hand and Blake took it, the two of them entwining their fingers as they headed into town. 

“Is that what you’ll call her from now on? Bumblebee?” Yang asked and Blake shrugged.

“Only if you’re there to ride her with me.”

“Of course,” Yang said quickly, almost eagerly, and her face flushed with embarrassment at her own enthusiasm. “I’d love to.” They walked in happy, contented silence for a moment, the sounds of the town growing closer, until Yang said, “C’mon, lemme show you what there is to do in town.”

There wasn't that much more to do in town than at the bar but, to Blake's great delight, there were a lot of stores that sold used books. She knew, just from the look of them, that she could spend hours upon hours inside. If she had a good source of food and something to drink, she might even move in. Before noon, Blake had no less that two bags full of books, both ones she had never read and ones that she loved. 

Yang smirked as she saw Blake’s choices, teasing lightly, “And I thought I got some weird romance novels.”

“They’re art, Yang,” Blake said matter of factly, letting the teasing wash over her, “I love books like this.”

“Right,” Yang said, grabbing the first book she could out of the bags, “Books where the protagonist…” She flipped halfway through and read a few lines, then flushed a deep red and all but threw the book back in the bag. “Oh my gods.”

Blake cackled as she carried on down the sidewalk, absentmindedly ambling towards the neon sign hanging above a diner ahead of them. Yang tucked an arm around Blake’s waist as they walked, and Blake nuzzled close to her in response. If anyone had any doubts about their relationship beforehand, that banished the questions immediately. Blake was happy, proud even, to be Yang’s girlfriend. As they walked a few people stopped them to chat with Yang. Everyone seemed to recognize her from the bar up the road, by reputation if not by name. Apparently her moving in from elsewhere had made her something of a celebrity, and her wonderful establishment even more so.

The diner, as it turned out, was run by Fox, who was overjoyed to have Blake and Yang there. “You can finally get some real cooking, instead of that slop Yang makes," he said as he led them to a corner booth.

“Yang’s a great cook,” Blake said, unable to keep the smile off her face. Yang laughed at Fox’s jab as they slid into the booth.

“He learned from me,” Yang said proudly, and Fox’s jaw dropped in mock offense.

“That’s a damn lie!” he nearly shouted, “I knew how to cook way before you moved to town.”

“I wouldn’t call it cooking,” Yang said, idly reading the menu and ignoring the growing outrage on Fox’s face.

“You wouldn’t-I’m gonna spit in your food, Yang, just you wait,” he said, then wandered off as another pair of customers came in. Blake and Yang laughed as he walked away, hands finding one another and entwining as they sat there with their menus. 

After ordering their food, a small bowl of soup and a sandwich for Yang and fish and chips for Blake, Blake asked, 

“So, you like that book you grabbed?”

Yang’s face flushed again and she took a big gulp of water before she responded. “It seems interesting.” She was quiet for a moment, brows furrowed in thought, when she whispered, “Have you ever...done that? What they were doing in the book?”

Blake had read the book a hundred times, she knew exactly what part Yang was referring to. “No, but I’m willing to try. I’ll try anything once.” Yang glanced up and Blake bit her lip, running her thumb over Yang’s hand, making the blush only grow and a nervously excited smile spread across Yang’s face.

“O-oh. Yeah, I...we can…”

“Only if you want to, babe.”

Yang let out a sigh of relief and shrugged. “Eventually, maybe. I still haven’t ever had sex, so I dunno what I like yet.”

“We don’t even have to have sex, if you don’t want,” Blake said quietly and Yang nodded sagely.

“I know. My sister’s like that, no sexual attraction at all, and she’s had a girlfriend for months now.”

“Is that Weiss?”

“Nah, another friend of hers named Penny,” Yang said, pulling out her phone and bringing up pictures. Blake recognized Ruby from all the times Yang had shown off some of those pictures before, but the ones with the beaming green eyed woman with long, wavy orange hair were new. There were a handful of pictures of her and Ruby sitting together, and at least one where Penny was planting a kiss on Ruby’s cheek. Yang scoffed as she saw it, swiping it aside as quickly as it had appeared. “Scandalous, how dare they send me that.”

“Like you haven’t sent Ruby pictures of me,” Blake said with a small laugh and Yang shrugged. With Blake’s permission, Yang had begun to send her sister pictures of Blake, as well as explaining the barebones of the situation that led to them living together. 

“Well yeah, but none of us kissing,” Yang said as she found a picture of Ruby, Penny, and the woman that Blake recognized as Ruby’s other friend Weiss. 

“So why isn’t Penny coming with Ruby and Weiss on their visit?”

“Penny’s dad wanted her to come back to Atlas for spring break,” Yang said with a shrug, “But Ruby and Penny got together long distance anyway, so they’re cool with it.”

“Oh yeah?” Blake asked as a server came by with their food. Blake slipped them a tip, which they took with an appreciative smile.

“Yeah, they were online girlfriends for a while. They met playing  _ World of Huntresses _ , if you can believe that,” Yang said before taking a huge bite of her sandwich. Mayo and tomato spilled everywhere and she yelped in surprise, snatching up a napkin to clean up her mess. Blake watched with an amused smile, popping a fry into her mouth before asking,

“ _ World of Huntresses _ ? What is that?”

Yang took a moment to respond, still mopping up the veritable ocean of mayo that had spilled out of her sandwich. “He put this much in on purpose, I swear,” she grumbled, then said, “It’s this big online roleplaying game. You build a character, go hunt monsters, get loot. It’s fun, Rubes and I used to play all the time.”

“But not anymore?” Blake asked. Yang’s smile faltered for a moment, but then she chuckled softly. Blake felt a cold shiver of doubt float across her mind and the whisper began to grow louder again. It had been so many happy days without it that Blake had almost forgotten what it sounded like, but that horrible voice was never really gone. She forced herself to focus on Yang, to drown out the doubt and self hatred.

“...busy woman these days. But I was the best damn tank you’ve ever seen. Ruby and I used to do raids as a duo,” Yang grimaced as she said that, “Stayed up all night to do one,  _ The Horror of Salem’s Court _ . That raid’s a fucking nightmare even with a full four person team.”

Blake pulled up the website for the game, immediately struck by the intricate and practical armor on all the characters. “Would you ever get back into it?”

Yang sucked on her teeth for a moment before she shrugged. “Maybe. I wouldn’t wanna do it alone, that’s for sure. That game’s a fucking time sink too, you gotta grind for hours to get anywhere. It’s more fun with somebody to play with.” She glanced over at Blake, who was currently scrolling through a list of classes. “Why? You looking for something to do?”

“More like something to distract me,” Blake admitted, the idea of lying putting a bad taste in her mouth, “I need something when...things get bad.”

“Like when the road cleared?” Yang asked softly and Blake nodded. They hadn’t discussed it any further since then, though Blake knew it was because Yang was giving her the initiative. With other people, Ilia, Sienna, even her own parents, it was an uncomfortable thing to talk about, something that was better left in psychology magazines and sociology papers. With Yang, there was no fear of judgement. Yang wanted to help, she wanted to understand so that she could be there in a way that mattered. The difference made Blake’s heart soar. Yang cleared her throat and said, “I think you’d like the Rogue class, especially the Shinobi profession. It’s all dodging and versatility, got some really cool endgame abilities too.”

“I’ll look it up,” Blake said, finding the Rogue on the list of classes. “I haven’t played video games in years, not since I was a kid.”

“What’d you play?”

“ _ Pumpkin Pete's Crazy Cart Racers _ .”

“Oh my gods!” Yang cried out, smacking herself lightly in the face and drawing the attention of some of the other customers, “I forgot about  _ Crazy Cart Racers _ ! I played the shit out of that game.”

“I was the best in school,” Blake said proudly and Yang whistled appreciatively. 

“If you can handle that game,  _ World of Huntresses _ is gonna be easy. It’s a lot of numbers at first, but I just button mashed most of the time. It didn’t make a fucking difference.” Yang laughed and shook her head. “Gods, Ruby would kill me for saying that. She got so into it, she made a spreadsheet with all her class abilities and how they stacked on one another, watched videos on strategy, it was nuts.”

“Sounds like it,” Blake said with a grin, remembering how she had once been able to draw every single  _ Crazy Cart Racers _ map from memory with her eyes closed, with shortcuts. “I would never get that into it.”

“I dunno, it’s pretty addictive,” Yang said in a half hearted warning, but Blake could see that she was coming around the idea of hopping back into the game. “It should run on my old laptop, if you wanna use that. I’ve got a mouse for it and everything.”

“You wanna check it out once we get back to the bar?” Blake asked and Yang nodded with a small smile. The rest of the day passed quickly enough, with Yang giving Blake the, admittedly short, grand tour of the town. They stopped by Velvet’s photography shop for a chat, ducked into Coco’s tailoring shop, and waved at Yatsu as he led a crossfit class. They stayed away from the southern edge of town, where a huge warehouse dominated the surrounding buildings. Blake eyed it suspiciously and asked, “The Malachite’s club?”

“Yep,” Yang said curtly, steering them up a street and away from the warehouse. Blake made a mental note never to go anywhere near the warehouse, or even that entire side of town. The rest of the town was lovely but even the average person seemed to avoid going near the warehouse. Blake didn’t think that a little town like this had nearly enough people to support a club, but she knew enough about criminal enterprises to spot a front when she saw one.

By the end of the day both Yang and Blake were happy and laughing, armed with a third bag of books and some takeout from Fox’s diner. They stumbled into the bar, and Blake was glad that she had spent so much time waitressing for Yang, otherwise her legs would have given out from the strain of walking around town all day.

“I’ll go put these in the spare room,” Blake called out as she made her way to the back door with her bags of books. Yang made a strangled sound and Blake turned to see Yang scratching the back of her head awkwardly and blushing.

“You can put them up in the loft. I-I mean, Ruby’s gonna need the spare room anyway, and I’ve got room upstairs so I just thought that...um…” she trailed off, smiling sheepishly and Blake felt a warm glow start to emanate from her chest.

“I’d love to,” she said softly, then made her way upstairs. She let out a giddy squeal as she realized what had happened, a sound so unlike her that she almost dropped her bags in shock. Gods they were going to share a room! They had been dating for weeks now, but this was another step entirely. This was huge! It only made sense, she supposed, they needed the extra space for Ruby. Besides, Yang was basically a space heater, and Blake loved to curl up next to her. The fact that it was happening at all was shocking and exciting all at once. 

_ You’ll abandon her _

Nope! Not today, not ever!

Today was a wonderful day, and Adam’s whispers had no more power than lint. Blake flopped happily into bed and hugged Shroud to herself, pouring her love and affection for Yang into tiny plush. The idea of taking another step with Yang fortified her soul against everything, her anxiety, her fear, even the thought of meeting Ruby.

“We’re not open yet,” Yang shouted from downstairs, the unmistakable sound of the door to the bar creaking up the stairway, “But if you come back at-Ruby!” There was the sound of two pairs of running feet and then happy squealing. “You said you weren’t gonna be here till later!”

“We got out of classes early and I wanted to surprise you,” came an unfamiliar voice that must have been Ruby. Her voice was happy and excited, full of a joy so unrelenting that it would have blown Blake over if she wasn’t already laying down.

Yang screamed happily and there was a yelp of surprise, then, “Put me down, you dork!” This voice was sharp and authoritative, almost cold were it not for the obvious affection held therein. That must have been Weiss. 

Blake stood and steeled her nerves, clenching and unclenching her fists a few times. It was fine, everything that Yang had told her about their new guests made Blake certain that everything would be just fine. It didn’t help her nerves, but she had enough practice dealing with nerves to force her feet to respond even when they didn’t want to. As she came down the stairs she saw Yang swinging a waif thin woman with a long white braid around in a circle, the latter trying not to smile as best she could. In front of them was the woman that Blake recognized as Ruby, with her short, spiky black hair with red tips and built like a runner. When Yang turned around once more, her eyes settled on Blake.

“Oh!” she cried out, almost flinging Weiss aside in her surprise at seeing Blake so suddenly. Instead she gently set down the white haired woman and gestured at Blake. “Ruby, Weiss, this is Blake my...uh…” Her voice trailed off again and a frown flickered over her face as though she wasn’t sure what to say. They hadn’t quite figured out a label for their relationship yet, but Blake smiled softly and picked up the torch.

“Girlfriend. I’m her girlfriend.” Ruby squealed and bolted at Blake. Immediately Blake leapt away, one hand flying up to stop Ruby’s tackle hug and the other to her knife, a shock of cold piercing her body. The room went dead quiet and Ruby stopped mid step in confusion. “Sorry,” Blake breathed out, “I-I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” Ruby said softly, the same gentle smile that Yang always had on her face. It was different, personal to Ruby, more open and bold than Yang’s version, but it still set Blake’s nerves at ease. Ruby extended a hand gingerly. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Blake shook her hand firmly, forcing a smile onto her face. It was a poor cover for the sudden wave of self hatred that swept over her, alongside a heavy hand of shame. She wanted to believe that it was a rare thing that she reacted that way, but she knew it wasn’t. Ruby’s sudden movement had sparked her survival instincts, reminded her of a thousand times when Adam had charged her in a rage. But of course Ruby didn’t know that, not even Yang knew that yet. Blake had let some things slip over the past few weeks, but nothing specific. Yang didn’t need to know the gory details. She cared. That was what mattered.

From the gentle smile on Ruby’s face and the comforting glint of Weiss’ eye, Blake could tell that they cared as well. It was almost enough to drive her to tears, the thought of two strangers caring so much for her. She didn’t need the whisper to tell her that she didn’t think she deserved it, that all came from her, but, somehow, she knew that they meant it whether she deserved it or not.

Gods, how was it possible for people to care so much?

“Drinks?” Yang asked awkwardly, passing by Ruby and wrapping a comforting arm around Blake’s waist. She leaned into the contact and allowed herself to be led to a bar stool, followed by Weiss and Ruby. Blake tried to protest when Yang went behind the bar to get their drinks organized, but let it go. It would calm Yang down, banish the underpinning worry in her gaze that Blake’s reaction had caused. She had already pulled out a hard iced tea and slid it over to Blake with a soft smile.

“White Atlesisan,” Weiss said, “I need it after being in a car with Ruby for two days.”

“C’mon, you love me,” Ruby said in a mock whine and Weiss shook her head in response, unable to hide the small smile that came to her lips.

“Shut up, no I don’t. I tolerate you,” Weiss grumbled and Ruby snickered, reaching over to give her friend a one armed hug. Weiss grumbled some more, but leaned into the hug anyway. As Ruby opened her mouth to order something, Yang shook her head firmly.

“Ruby, swear to the gods I’ll throw you out if I catch you drinking.”

“Wh-You let me have some beer last time I was up here!”

“Yeah, and dad still chews me out for it,” Yang said as she finished up Weiss’ drink and slid it to her.

Ruby folded her arms across her chest and huffed in frustration. “Fine. I’ll just have soda.”

After Yang gave Ruby her soda and prepared her own drink, the four sat in silence as everyone took a long sip of their drinks. “So,” Blake said, trying to push past her shy nature and into a new stage of her life, “You two are still in school?”

“Senior year at Beacon,” Ruby said proudly and Weiss nodded in agreement. Blake furrowed her brow in confusion; Weiss looked at least her age if not older.

“I took some time off before going to college,” Weiss said as though she anticipated the coming question, “I wanted to be a musician for a while, but that didn’t work out so well.”

Blake considered this for a moment, then her mind clicked as a potential connection was made. “Wait, so you’re Weiss Schnee?”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“Like,  _ Mirror Mirror _ Weiss Schnee?”

Weiss flushed a slight pink. “Yeah.”

“I love that song!” Blake said as excitement flooded her body, then was immediately washed away as Weiss’ blush turned a deep red and she looked away.

“I-I’m glad,” Weiss mumbled, “I didn’t think that anyone really listened to it.”

Blake forced her excitement back down and shrugged nonchalantly, as though she hadn’t just revealed herself as a huge fan of the woman sitting near her. “It’s a good song, people should listen to it. Part two was even better, in my opinion.”

That made Weiss smile, much wider than she had before even when teasing Ruby. “Oh, me too. It was too different though, that’s what my label said. But, like, two years had passed, I was different.”

“I know that feeling,” Blake said and the embarrassed air flooded away as the two of them began to chat about music and college. Blake had never been, but she enjoyed the stories that Ruby and Weiss told. Yang’s mouth slowly gaped more and more as she listened to Ruby tell stories about the huge campus wide parties they’d been to with some of their more rambunctious friends. 

“Nora’s crazy,” Ruby was saying, “Like, she’s nuts anyway but once she starts doing a keg stand she loses it.”

“I can’t believe you go to keg stands,” Yang groaned, “I didn’t even think people did those anymore.”

“You’ve done it!”

“I’m a bad role model!”

Weiss laughed softly and shook her head as the sisters started to bicker, then leaned back and looked over at Blake. “You know, I have a new song that I wrote for one of my classes. Would you mind reviewing it for me?”

“Would I-Sure!” Blake said, a happy smile spreading across her face. Suddenly the prospect of Ruby and Weiss spending the week at the bar didn’t seem quite so exhausting. 

“I’ll get it to you tomorrow,” Weiss said with a soft smile, an expression that almost seemed foreign on her. As the sisters continued to argue and poke fun at one another, Weiss slipped around Ruby and sat next to Blake, taking a big sip of her drink as she did. “So you’re the one who helped Yang get her truck back here?”

“Sure am. I’ve been living here for a couple weeks now,” Blake said with a shrug and Weiss nodded sagely.

“Ruby mentioned that someone was living with Yang, but not that you two were in a relationship.”

“Oh. Th-that’s still pretty new,” Blake stammered, “We’re still figuring it out. I don’t want to move too fast and Yang’s still new at this. But it’s nice!”

“I bet,” Weiss said, casting a glance at Yang, “She’s pretty great.”

“Yeah,” Blake said, following Weiss’ gaze, “She really is.” The two watched Yang explain how, no, her being a bartender didn’t actually make Ruby a bartender by association, gesticulating wildly. “What about you? You got anyone special?” 

Weiss laughed softly and nodded, pulling out her phone. “I do. I didn’t want to just be a third wheel for Ruby and Penny all the time, so I found somebody.” She brought up some pictures, showing them to Blake proudly. Blake’s voice caught in her throat as she saw the pictures, a shock of betrayal seeping into her bones.

“Oh my gods,” she choked out and Weiss nodded with a pleased smile. “That’s my best friend, Ilia.” 

Weiss stared blankly for a moment. “What?”

“Ilia Amitola, right? That’s your girlfriend’s name?” Blake asked and Weiss nodded slowly. A few moments later Blake was showing Weiss pictures of her and Ilia, all dressed up in makeshift superhero costumes at ten years old. 

“She’s adorable! You’re adorable!” Weiss squealed, grabbing Yang and Ruby’s attention. “Oh my gods, I’m calling her.”

“Please do. I need to have a word with her,” Blake said dryly and Weiss paused right before she tapped 'call' on Ilia’s contact. 

“You’re just finding out about this aren’t you?”

“Yep. How long have you two been together?”

“A year and a half in two weeks.”

“Oh, motherfucker!” Blake said in absolute exasperation, making Weiss let out a very unladylike cackle. Soon the phone line was ringing and Blake glared daggers at the phone in Weiss’ hand. There was no way on Remnant that she was letting this one go, Ilia owed her an explanation. 

“Hey snow angel! Yes, I pulled over, so stop worrying,” Ilia said, her voice crackly and distorted by the poor reception. Weiss nodded slowly at Blake, giving her the go ahead, and immediately Blake hollered,

“You have a girlfriend? Why didn’t you  _ tell _ me?”

“Wha-Blake? Is that you?” Ilia yelled back, shock piercing through the phone line and into the room.

“You godsdammed right it’s me! Weiss said you’ve been dating for a year and a half, what the fuck Ilia?”

“Well you didn’t talk to me since-am I on speaker?” Ilia’s voice changed halfway through the sentence, suddenly hushed and worried. Blake froze, aware that she had come within moments of revealing the brutal nature of her past relationship. Ruby and Weiss didn’t need to hear about that. They didn’t need that on their minds during their visit.

“Yes, love, you are,” Weiss said, casting a curious glance to Blake, “So why didn’t you tell Blake about us?”

“Ah, we fell outta contact after...I moved.” It was a weak lie, but laden with the sorrowful weight of necessary secrecy. Weiss furrowed her brow as she heard it, then her expression cleared as she realized that some things were better left unsaid. Ruby dove over to greet Ilia, having missed the awkwardness of the situation entirely, and soon the conversation moved onto other, lighter things.

Blake let out a sigh and leaned against the bar, feeling Yang sidle up next to her and wrap an arm around her shoulders. “That piece of shit guy did this?” she murmured and Blake nodded slowly. Yang grunted and gave her a reassuring hug but said nothing more, giving Blake her space. That had become their way. If someone wanted to discuss something, they would. Both of them were fragile, delicate in their own ways. Pushing too hard threatened to shatter the tenuous peace they had established. In this case, Blake felt like Yang deserved some kind of explanation.

“He didn’t like me having friends, Ilia included. Hell, she was in the gang with us and he didn’t let us meet up,” Blake muttered and Yang let out a protective growl in response. “I was...grounded for the last year of that part of my life.”

“Fucking asshole,” Yang grumbled and Blake forced out a choked laugh.

“Babe, you have no idea.”

Yang gave her a once over, her face going slack as a horrible idea occurred. “Did he ever...hit you? You don’t have to tell me, especially not now,” she said, jerking her head at Ruby and Weiss.

“Well, I didn’t break my own ribs,” Blake mumbled and she could almost hear Yang grit her teeth in response. “It’s okay, babe. He’s locked up. I’m safe.”

“It’s not okay. You should never-”

“I know, Yang. I know.” Blake smiled softly up at Yang and the blonde nuzzled against her. “I’m with you now. I’m safe.”

“Bet on it,” Yang said softly and gave Blake another reassuring squeeze. Not a moment too soon it seemed, as Ruby whirled away from the conversation with Ilia, which had turned into Weiss blushing furiously as Ilia told her just how wonderful she was and Weiss failed to deflect the compliments.

“I brought my console, so we can play some games if that tv still works,” Ruby shouted as she barreled into the bar, rapidly drumming her fingers on the wooden surface.

“You ready to lose again?” Yang said, her confidence coming back like flicking a switch, though Blake had been around her long enough to see that it was forced. “Oh! Speaking of games, do you still play  _ World of Huntresses _ ? Cause Blake and I were thinking about getting into it.” Ruby’s face split into an enormous smile and Yang whispered into Blake’s ear, “Get ready to have your ear talked off.”

Blake snorted with laughter and whispered back, “Thanks for the warning, babe.”

They spent the next three hours talking games, with Ruby dominating the discussion. Normally someone talking about something that she had never done would have bored Blake, but Ruby’s passion and excitement was infectious. By the time that early evening rolled around she was itching to start playing, even though she had no idea how to go about playing the game. Before Ruby could pull out the spreadsheets, Yang grabbed some food and the quartet dug in with gusto. 

Dinner was full of easy laughter and easier smiles. It was remarkable, Blake mused, that she was so at ease around people she barely knew. She thought it probably had to do with Yang being there, holding her hand under the table reassuringly, but there was also a small, strangled strength of her own at play. She loved hearing Weiss’ stories of high society, the white haired woman having come from the upper crust in Atlas, and Ruby’s tales of college debauchery. Most of those, she assumed, were either heavily exaggerated or heavily censored. Perhaps both, paradoxically enough. But she especially loved how Ruby and Weiss volunteered to help her on the floor that night. Or rather Ruby volunteered herself and told Weiss that she was going to help.

It was good they did too, as the very moment the door opened the bar was packed. Everyone seemed to know Ruby as well as they knew Yang, and was just as welcoming to Weiss as they had been to Blake. True, Weiss’ stony demeanor was a bit strange for the service industry but she had at least some experience, and mostly acted as a liaison between the floor and the supplies behind the bar. Soon the bar was full of laughter and song, someone pulling out a mandolin halfway through and crooning some country heartache to the heavens. Yang groaned as she heard it, but Blake thought it was lovely. 

It was strange, a world apart from life on Menagerie. It was different, a lifestyle that she had never known before. Despite all that, it was good, it was comforting.

For lack of a better term, it was  _ home _ . It had been too long since Blake had a place she could call home.

By the end of the evening she and Yang collapsed into bed, sweaty and exhausted. They curled up around one another, muttering sweet nothings into each other’s ears. Blake tucked Shroud tightly to her chest, looking forward to spending the rest of tomorrow with Yang. With luck and a lot of hard work, she would spend the rest of every other day with her too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gang's all here! Now we can die together!  
> Update on my writing:  
> The next long fic is probably going to be the band AU! I need to do some reworking of the second half of Bikers and Bartenders, but that's nearly done as well. Might post previews of the Destiny and Viking AUs soon as well.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jacubesilvora  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakobretheKitty


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake comes to appreciate having the extra hands around the bar, while Yang supports her in rekindling her friendship with Ilia.

Spending time with Ruby and Weiss was just as enjoyable as spending time with Yang. The sisters had a strange rapport, at least it was strange to Blake, full of joking insults and flying tackle hugs, the latter mainly from Ruby. With the simple consideration of remaining upright thrown out the window as soon as Yang revealed she was more than capable of withstanding a tackle, Ruby began flat out sprinting around the bar. 

Weiss was much more subdued, sitting properly in one of the bar stools and pouring over academic texts so dense they made Blake’s head hurt even considering them. It was remarkable that the two, Ruby and Weiss, were friends at all, a bit like a paper boat floating across the sea to Atlas. Difficult, nearly impossible, but entirely doable. And, Blake realized as she watched Ruby hide behind Weiss to avoid chores, entirely real. As Yang started to wave a broom around dramatically, insisting that Ruby at least sweep near the three tables she was in charge of each night, Blake leaned back with a heavy stretch. The action immediately caused Yang to glance her direction and a red tinge began to spread across her cheeks. 

“Do we wanna have dinner outside?” Blake asked as she finished stretching, “You know, that place you showed me a while ago?”

“The place Rubes found?” Yang asked absentmindedly as she all but launched herself over Weiss to get her sister to help out.

“Yeah that one. I’ll start getting stuff ready now if we wanna go,” Blake said and immediately Weiss hopped up and out of the way of the sisters.

“I’ll help,” she said, briskly making her way to the kitchen. As Blake followed her into the back, she heard Ruby screeching,

“I found where we’re having dinner! I shouldn’t have to do chores!” Then she yelped in surprise and Blake poked her head back around the doorframe to see that Yang had hoisted her up on one shoulder. Ruby feebly tried to struggle free, but Yang’s grip was iron and the smile on her face wickedly overjoyed as she started to sweep with one hand. Blake smirked as she turned away and started to gather up supplies for dinner, just sandwich things for tonight.

Weiss was busy finding a basket to carry everything in and a cloth to cover it all with, a fond smile on her face as she listened to the sisters in the main room. “Dolts,” she muttered, more to herself than to Blake.

“How’d you meet Ruby?” Blake asked, playing off the twitch of her ears as she overheard Weiss.

“We sat next to each other in shop class. Beacon makes everyone take a shop class, part of the core curriculum,” Weiss said, then held up a cloth and pursed her lips. “No, not that one.”

“And she was her usual self?” Blake asked, looking around and snagging another cloth that was, in actuality, just a scrap from one of Yang’s flannels. “How about this one?”

Weiss caught the cloth when Blake threw it over and considered it for a moment, then tossed it aside. “No, it’s too garish. She was, and she’s…hard to ignore. Not to mention I needed her to pass that class, she’s a prodigy.” 

“Really?’

“Oh yes. Anything to do with building, Ruby can do it.” Weiss took a moment to look down at her hands, which were pale and soft, only blemished by a few blisters from the nights of work. “I wasn’t quite so skilled at first. Ooh, this is a good one.” She pulled up a purple and yellow plaid cloth, and held it up for Blake to see. It looked, for a moment, as though she were comparing it to Blake herself, but Blake shook the idea away.

“That is a nice one,” Blake murmured, taking it gingerly, “I’ve never seen it before.” 

“It was back behind the counter,” Weiss said with a shrug. In the hustle and bustle of the bar, there were almost certainly a dozen more rags stuck back there. It was a lovely cloth and Blake couldn’t help but smile as she saw it.

“I like it,” she said, grabbing the last of the sandwich stuff and putting it into the basket. Weiss nodded knowingly and draped it over the basket, tucking it in so nothing flew out.

They emerged from the back just in time to see Ruby clamber up Yang’s back and try, unsuccessfully, to put her sister into a headlock. Yang rolled her shoulders and Ruby fell away with a yelp of surprise. Before she could renew her assault, Blake called out,

“We’re ready when you are.” The sisters immediately straightened up and smiled sheepishly, a look that seemed almost copied and pasted from Yang onto her younger sister. Blake rolled her eyes playfully and soon they were all outside and piling onto their respective vehicles.

Blake had thought that the black and yellow on her bike looked a bit foolish at first, but the way that Yang had gushed over it made her appreciate it far more. Ruby gasped as she rolled it out of the garage and even Weiss raised an appreciative eyebrow.

“That looks so cool!” Ruby said, immediately running over to give the bike a look. “Is this an Albain?”

“BX-390 Hurricane,” Blake said, a well of pride rising in her chest as Ruby cooed in delight and knelt next to the bike.

“Those are, like, some of the best bikes ever made! Especially that model, oh my gods I’m so jealous!”

Weiss studied the bike as well, her lips curling into a small smile. “And here I thought Yang finally got some taste. Better than that old junker you drive around in.”

“Now hang on,” Yang started to protest, then gestured at the empty garage bay, balking as she realized her truck was still in Vernal’s shop. She let her hand drop away with a huff of disappointment. “Let’s load up, we’re burning daylight.”

Soon Blake was leading the charge down the mountain roads and up the small path to the clearing Ruby had found. Ruby and Weiss had to leave their car at the bottom of the path, the drive too steep and narrow to risk driving up. It gave Blake and Yang plenty of time to sit back on their favorite rocks as they waited. They had come up here a handful of times over the past few weeks, the spring chill wandering off as the seasons turned. It was peaceful, separated from the rest of the world. It was like a personal haven for the two of them, a garden where they could just be themselves.

After Ruby and Weiss finally made it up to them, they all sat down to eat. Blake was astonished as she watched Ruby make her sandwich, the eventual creation nearly as tall as her head and covered in relish. Weiss stared disdainfully at Ruby’s sandwich, her own a simple affair. She glanced over at Blake and asked, “May I borrow your knife?”

“Oh, sure,” Blake said, passing it over. A few graceful strokes later and Weiss’ sandwich was split in two diagonally. Without even a moment of hesitation she flipped it around and began to clean the blade of peanut butter and jelly, her grip light and confident. She looked up, catching Yang and Blake’s stares of shock and shrugged.

“Ruby does track and field, I’m a fencer. We all have our hobbies.” The way that she held the blade made Blake think that Weiss’ fencing went a bit beyond being a hobby, but she said nothing as she took back her knife. 

“How’s that going by the way?” Yang asked her sister and Ruby immediately launched into an excited explanation of her time on the Beacon track and field team. As she spoke, Blake found a growing sense of inadequacy in her belly. Ruby was a three time all round champion in her sport, specializing in sprinting, and Blake had spent her early twenties puttering around a shithole apartment in Kuo Kuana. 

Still, she reminded herself, that hadn’t been entirely her fault. Adam had been nothing short of a tyrant. The thought made her all the happier for having escaped that and found Yang, this small family that she could feel growing around her. The thought that she was not only being accepted into that family but welcomed was still alien and strange, but not nearly as bad as it had been at first. That cruel little whisper was nearly gone now, just an underpinning to her thoughts rather than a raging cruelty. 

As the evening passed them by, Blake found herself laying on Yang’s jacket, her head in Yang’s lap. Ruby and Weiss were busy debating the finer points of Mistralian counterculture in the music scene, giving Blake and Yang time for themselves. 

They sat there, doing nothing aside from Yang stroking Blake’s hair and working out the tangles with gentle, practiced strokes. 

“I love days like this,” Blake mumbled, feeling herself falling asleep as she lay there. 

“Me too,” Yang said softly, the sound of their arguing guests growing faint and distant as Blake stared up into those beautiful lilac eyes. “Even when we spend them doing nothing.”

“ _ Especially _ when we spend them doing nothing,” Blake said, letting her eyes fall closed. She didn’t drift off to sleep, not fully, just lay there in quiet peace with the woman she loved. Sure, the evening would be broken up by work at the bar. Yes, the moment would pass and be replaced by busywork and chores. But, somehow, Blake knew that there would be plenty more moments just like that one in the clearing. There was a surety there, a consistency that she didn’t know could exist until that moment. It grounded her, tethered her to Yang. What a wonderful feeling it was. 

By the end of the week the four of them were like a well oiled machine. Blake and Ruby worked the floor with relentless efficiency, taking orders and slinging drinks like professionals. Weiss was ready with their orders even before they came up to grab them, though Blake spied what looked suspiciously like a list of customers and their preferred drinks. The white haired woman was organized to a ridiculous degree, but if it helped make things run smoother then Blake was all for it. Yang was her usual wonderful, charming self, keeping everyone at the bar entertained and throwing together drinks with such grace and poise that it was like watching a ballet dancer.

In the throes of working with such a great group of women, Blake could forget about any troubles she might have had. The evenings were too busy to worry, the nights were too full of her love for Yang, and the days were too hectic keeping up with Ruby and Weiss. She had taken the time to review Weiss’ new song, something that she was tentatively calling  _ Path to Isolation _ , and she had to keep from absolutely gushing about how wonderful a song it was. There was something real, something deep and primal about the lyrics that seemed to come from somewhere within Weiss’ soul. Between that song, her relationship with Yang, and how Ruby wore her heart on her sleeve like a badge of honor, Blake felt closer to these three women then she ever had to anyone in her entire life.

Well, along with Ilia. She had let her childhood best friend have it for not telling her that she had found a girlfriend. It was like a miracle, the most nervous person that Blake knew, who spent more time pining than sleeping, had found someone to love. She didn’t blame Ilia for not saying something, it would have been nearly impossible anyway, but Ilia allowed her to pretend that the option had been there. It helped the budding feeling of normalcy that Blake was slowly growing used to. 

“You hooked up with Ruby’s sister?” Ilia asked one night as Blake lay in bed chatting with her. It felt good to finally talk to her again, it had been too long since they’d actually had a discussion about...well, anything.

“I didn’t hook up with anyone. I’m  _ dating _ Ruby’s sister,” Blake said matter of factly and she could imagine Ilia rolling her eyes at the correction. 

“Right, whatever. So what, you’re settling down? Not gonna go out riding anymore?” There was a moment of silence before Yang, half asleep next to Blake, cut in,

“There’s riding all right!” 

Ilia gagged on the other end of the line and Blake cackled before planting a kiss on Yang’s cheek. “That’s disgusting. You’re both disgusting. I don’t know why I talk to you.”

“Cause you’re my best friend and you love me,” Blake said innocently, meaning it as a teasing phrase. The air suddenly felt heavier, denser, and there was another long pause from Ilia.

“I’m glad,” Ilia managed to say and sniffled as though holding back tears, “I’m glad I’m still your best friend.”

Blake took a heavy breath, feeling tears of her own beginning to well up. It was inevitable, really, that she would cry talking about anything emotional with Ilia. They had been so close and now...now they had to start again. Blake had never been happier to restart anything in her life. “Me too,” she said softly. They chatted for another half an hour until Ilia had to get back on the road, apparently on a trip to Beacon to see Weiss when she got back from visiting Yang. Blake nestled in next to Yang and tucked her head against her chest. Yeah. Everything was going to be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm always here for some found family. Definitely going to have to explore Ilia and Blake's relationship more in the future!  
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jacubesilvora  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakobretheKitty


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions come to a head with the Malachites and Yang explains why she has the bar in Vacuo.

It was another busy night at the bar, so busy in fact that Blake could barely stop to take a breath. But it was a good thing, her twisting mind kept at bay by the pace of the work. As it was Ruby and Weiss’ last night with them, everyone in town seemed to have come out to wish the two women well. Weiss looked a bit flushed and embarrassed from the attention, but Ruby was thriving, telling stories and joking with as much ease as her sister.

Then the door opened, slamming against the stopper. Blake’s head snapped up to see Melanie Malachite in the doorway, her gaze beyond Blake and straight through to Yang. She had a new scar on her face; the cut that Blake had given her had healed over poorly. “Blondie,” she called out and Yang looked up, gaze hardening as she saw the twin. All pretense of the friendly bartender was gone, now there was only the protective snarl of a mother bear. “Get out here.”

“Rubes, watch the bar for me,” Yang said as she walked to the door, tucking a cloth in her pocket. She glanced over at Blake and forced a smile, mouthing, “I’ll be fine.”

Blake followed her to the doorway anyways, spying out to watch what happened. It woud slow down service, but Blake stopped giving a fuck about that the moment her girlfriend was threatened. It wasn’t an implicit threat, of course, but Blake’s instincts were firing on all cylinders and her hand drifted to her knife as she leaned on the doorframe. Over the hubbub of the bar she couldn’t hear what was being discussed, but she could certainly infer based on how the people involved were acting.

Melanie was jabbing a finger at Yang’s chest, a snarl on her face, while Miltia leaned against the hood of a rather expensive looking convertible. Yang glared back at Melanie, and snapped something at her which made the smaller woman take an indignant step back. Clearly they were talking about the other night, and Blake could feel her body going cold as she realized that she was the reason for all the trouble. 

_ They’ll forgive her if you leave _

Blake shuddered, suddenly wishing that she had stayed busy instead of watching the exchange. The voice was soothing this time, seductive instead of destructive. Part of her wanted to believe it, to give into that soft whisper of comfort, but Blake had been dealing with it enough to know that every poisoned word was a lie.

She snapped back to the moment to see Melanie snarl something at Yang and take a threatening step forwards. Yang didn’t even flinch and whatever she said in return made Melanie’s face pale before she backed away. It was only a small concession, a tiny give, but it was enough for Yang to roll her eyes derisively and turn to head back inside. Melanie shouted something after her, but Yang ignored it. She glanced up and locked eyes with Blake even as Blake ducked back behind the door, a flush of embarrassment flooding her body as she realized she’d been caught.

“Hey,” Yang said, all her confidence dropping away as soon as Blake closed the door behind her.

“Hey. What’d they want?” Blake asked, rubbing small circles into Yang’s lower back in an attempt to soothe her. It seemed to work, as the tension began to run out of her shoulders and she let out a long breath.

“We’ll talk about it tonight, after everyone leaves,” Yang said softly and Blake nodded. Soon they were back to work like before, with no one the wiser as to what had transpired.

Later that night, after Ruby and Weiss headed back to bed, Yang and Blake lay up in the loft, staring into each other’s eyes. Yang’s fingers were entwined with Blake’s and she was smiling softly, though deep within her eyes there was a horrible worry.

“What’s wrong, Yang?” Blake asked quietly and Yang let out a sigh. 

“They’re hiking rent, like I thought they would, and Melanie’s got a real stick up her ass about you working here. She said-You know, I don’t want to repeat it.”

“That bad?”

“Like something out of a history book.”

“Oh,” Blake said softly, glad that Yang refused to say whatever nastiness Melanie had told her. A horrible doubt wound its way into Blake’s mind and she asked, “You don’t think they’re gonna...do something violent, do you?” She had been around plenty of people like Melanie Malachite. Violence would be second nature to a woman like her. 

“Not if they’re boss keeps them under control,” Yang growled softly, wrapping herself around Blake. Even through her anger, her protective rage, Blake could feel Yang shivering with fear. Her hands trembled as she held Blake close, and her breaths were short and halting. 

“Do you want to call those rangers you know? Neptune and Sun?” Blake asked and Yang shook her head.

“I do, but they wouldn't be allowed to watch over this place. We’re only technically on Vacuan soil, and it’s too far out for them to bother.” She was quiet for a long moment, then muttered, “I’ll feel a lot better about it once Ruby and Weiss are gone. I don’t...I can’t handle the thought of them getting hurt over this.” There was something so hollow, so familiar about the way Yang said it that Blake’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Yang...have they gotten hurt before?” Blake froze as she said that, afraid of pushing too far, of pushing Yang away, but all Yang did was nuzzle her head into Blake’s chest with a small whimper.

“Nope. That’s why I’m out here, so they don’t get hurt.”

“What do you mean?” Blake asked, nuzzling against Yang’s cheek, trying to impart some form of comfort onto her, the same kind that Yang was so skilled at showing. Blake knew what it was to be hurting, to be alone. She would never let Yang feel that broken, not as long as there was something she could do about it. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I...I got into some nasty shit when I was back home. My-” Her voice cut out and her shoulders went rigid as though she had been shocked, then she shook her head fiercely and pushed through, “My mother is a small time gang leader in Vale. Not Summer,” Blake remembered Yang talking about her mother Summer and narrowed her eyes in confusion, “My birth mother, Raven.” 

Blake let out a soft, “Oh,” of realization, her mind suddenly inundated with connections and pieces of the puzzle falling into place. Ruby and Yang only looked vaguely similar, it made sense, in a strange way, that Yang would have a different mother.

Yang nodded with a grimace and continued, “I got into the gang during my first year at college. It got real ugly, real fast and I tried to get out. Got a plea deal. Raven got arrested for it. I thought I was scot free, but one of her people found me back in Patch. They knew I had more information and they wanted me gone. Said that if I wanted my family safe, I’d leave.” Blake gasped and held Yang tighter, trying to shower her in comforts even as she could feel Yang start to shake violently. Her words were becoming halting, hard to decipher even as she continued. “They gave me this place, said if I ever went back to Patch then they-they were-” She choked out a sob and buried her head into Blake’s chest, tears streaming down her face. Blake held her close, cooing softly into her ear and stroking her back comfortingly. After a long while Yang managed to look back up, her eyes red and puffy from crying. “I-I can’t let Ruby get hurt. I can’t let anybody get hurt, that’s why I gotta be out here. If I lose the place, I dunno what I’m gonna do.”

“They shouldn’t have done that,” Blake said softly, trying as best she could to comfort her love, “You didn’t deserve that.”

“They could have killed me, Blake. It would’ve been easier,” Yang mumbled into Blake’s shirt and Blake shook her head firmly.

“Don’t think like that. They’re the worst kind of people and you deserve so much better than this.” Yang looked up, tear stained fear meeting unwavering determination. “We’re gonna figure this out, Yang, together.”

“But Blake,” Yang rasped, “Melanie she-You might get-I can’t handle that! I’ll take whatever bullshit they’re planning, I just need you safe.”

“Yang, please,” Blake whispered, “You don't have to sacrifice yourself for me, please don’t do that. You wanna protect me and I wanna protect you. We’re gonna have each other’s backs, right?”

Yang broke down into tears again, heaving sobs wracking her body even as Blake felt her own tears begin to fall. She placed a gentle kiss onto Yang’s forehead and cupped her body around the blonde. Eventually Yang’s sobs turned into little snores as she gave in to sleep, drifting away on the comforting throes of Blake’s warmth and her calm presence. Blake smiled as she looked at Yang, a smile which only grew wider when she saw that Yang had Shroud tucked tightly to her chest. A warm feeling of love and being loved spread through her body and she tucked herself tighter against Yang. 

They were going to figure this out, whatever this was, together. Blake was sure of it. As long as she had Yang and Yang had her, they were going to make it through this. The Malachites, their boss, Yang’s mother, even-even Adam could come after them now. They were a unified front, and immovable object and an unstoppable force all at once. Fuck everybody else. They were going to survive this and come out of the other side all the stronger. 

The next morning the pair woke up slowly, sunlight drifting lazily through the clouds up above. Blake rolled over and draped her body across Yang’s, not letting the sunlight wake her. She was shaking in her sleep, her normally slow and consistent snores short and halting as she whimpered every so often. Blake smiled down at her gently, a well of helplessness surging in her chest. She didn’t know what to do, how to help the woman she loved, and it was killing her inside. Yang had given so much, so freely, and now that Blake had the chance to do the same the words weren’t there. What could she give to Yang that she didn’t already have?

Blake reached up and tucked some hair behind Yang’s ear, and the blonde’s breathing hitched slightly in her sleep. She rolled towards Blake, one hand lazily reaching up and grasping onto Blake’s arm. The moment there was that contact, that feeling of closeness, Yang’s breathing steadied just a touch, just enough that she could fall back to sleep fully. Blake let out a sigh and snuggled up closer, burying her head into Yang’s shoulder. She didn’t know what to do, what to say, but as long as she was close then maybe Yang could get some comfort. It would have to do, but it didn’t soothe the feeling of helplessness. 

Soon Ruby and Weiss were talking downstairs, tidying things up between them. It was their last morning at the bar and, from the sounds of it, they were trying to make the evening easier on Yang. Blake could just barely hear the two as they chatted, the sound drifting up the stairs to her sensitive ears. Her ears flicked as she heard it, trying not to overhear them but curiosity overcoming her manners.

“...gonna be a wreck when we leave, you know that.”

“I know. I wanna come back here soon though! We should try and come up before summer, and Penny can come with us!”

“When are we going to get a chance? We have classes nonstop until we graduate.”

“I dunno, but we’ll figure it out. Maybe we can…” 

The sound faded as the chores took the two further away. Blake frowned as she glanced at the stairs, then down at Yang. She  _ would  _ be a wreck after Ruby and Weiss left. For all of Yang’s confidence and all the walls she put up around herself, she was sensitive and caring. That, Blake realized, had been what she’d fallen for first: that sensitivity, that compassion. No matter what Yang said, how she played it off and pushed aside how hard it was, she  _ hated _ living on her own. Blake could see it in the way that Yang had smiled softly when she’d decided to stay, in the way Yang held her just a hair tighter before one of them had to head into town alone, the way that she mumbled Blake’s name in her sleep. Yang needed a family just as badly as Blake, and Blake was going to do her absolute damndest to ensure that Yang got that.

“Mmornin’,” Yang mumbled as she came to, her eyes fluttering open. She wrapped a leg around Blake’s waist and pulled her close, humming softly as Blake nuzzled against her. “Sorry for-for scaring you last night.”

Blake sighed and shook her head. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Yang muttered, and Blake could see the searing sting of self deprecation deep in her eyes.

“It is,” Blake insisted, desperately trying to get Yang to stop beating herself up, “I mean it. I was scared, but that’s okay. We’ve got each other. We’ll get through this, babe.”

Yang stared at her in confusion, shock, and a wonderful admiration before she forced a small smile on her face and said, “I don’t deserve you.”

“No,” Blake agreed, making Yang frown, “You deserve so much better. But you’re stuck with me instead.”

The two laughed softly, drawing comfort from one another as they did so. It was so nice to just lay there, to be at peace with one another even as the world turned around them. Maybe things were going to be just fine, and maybe they weren’t. As long as Blake got to hold Yang like this every morning and every night, she didn’t much care what came their way. It was a serene kind of calm that settled over them when they were like this, something so unique to being with Yang and still so alien to Blake that she almost didn’t know how to conceptualize it. She wondered if this was how Ilia felt with Weiss, and resolved to ask her the next time they spoke. Then again, she mused, perhaps it was different with every couple. The thought only made her connection with Yang feel all the more special. 

Finally the sun began to poke up around Blake’s shoulder and pour into Yang’s eyes, making the lilac sparkle even as she tried to shield herself. Blake smiled gently at the sight and murmured, “We should get up.”

“Yeah,” Yang mumbled, “What time is it?”

“Ten thirty or so?”

“Oh.”

Yang’s face fell as she said that, and Blake knew why. Ruby and Weiss had to get back on the road within the hour to catch their flight back to Vale. Yang had let them know this was a terrible idea and they should have just left the day before, but Blake knew that Yang was grateful for every second she got with her sister and sister’s best friend. Hearing the story from the night before, even just the clipped, limited version Yang told her, made Blake realize just how special that time really was. Ruby came out maybe four times a year. For sisters who had lived in the same house for their entire lives, it must have been a horrible shift made even worse by the fact that Yang could never go see her sister. Ruby had to come to Yang, and that fact would have made Yang feel terrible for forcing her sister to foot all the expenses, though between the rent for the bar and supplies to run it, Yang was lucky to be able to afford food. A plane ticket could very well ruin her financially. Blake had, slowly but surely, been feeding in her own meager finances into the bar, but that was a conversation for later. Right now, Yang was sighing as she sat up and rubbed sleep from her eyes.

Blake sat up behind her and wrapped her arms around Yang, holding her close even as Yang grabbed a fresh shirt. “I should’ve gotten you up sooner, they’ve been down in the bar for a while.”

Yang shrugged and shook her head firmly. “No, it’s okay. The less time I have to get sappy about Rubes leaving, the better.” Blake smirked softly and nuzzled against Yang’s back, feeling the hard muscles flex as Yang stretched. If she had been capable of purring, Blake fancied she might have started. It might have set Yang’s nerves at ease, at the very least. 

“Okay. You wanna take today easy? They’ve already cleaned up downstairs.”

“Did they? That was sweet of them.”

“I think it was Ruby’s suggestion.”

“Probably. It’s a good thing that Weiss is here though, or we’d just have to clean the place over again anyway.”

Blake laughed aloud at that and Yang joined in, her laughter strong and full despite everything. They stood and got dressed, casually of course, and soon headed downstairs to find Weiss glaring imperiously at Ruby who was jumping in place as she tried to dust the top of the door. 

“Need some help there, pipsqueak?” Yang teased and Ruby shot her a mock glare.

“Shut up, I can do it.”

A scheming glint entered Yang’s eyes and she stole up behind her sister. Faster than Blake thought possible, Yang grabbed her sister by the waist and hoisted her skyward. Ruby shrieked in surprise and batted at her sister with the duster, Yang cackling maniacally as she received her sister’s reprisal. 

“Finish dusting!” Yang yelled as Ruby squirmed and got a better angle, using the duster on her sister’s face instead of the door. 

“Put me down first!” Ruby screeched and Yang laughed happily,

“You can’t reach!”

“I’m fine!”

Blake stopped next to Weiss and folded her arms as the two watched the sisters, who had begun teetering around so Ruby could dust the corners of the ceiling. Weiss had a small, fond smile on her face as she watched them, shaking her head every time Ruby shrieked. She glanced over at Blake as she approached and said, “Thanks for looking at the song, by the way. I’m glad you liked it.”

“Of course,” Blake said, smiling at Weiss and was gratified to receive a smile in turn, “It’s a great song.”

“Your comments were...insightful,” Weiss said after a moment of pause. Everything that Blake had refused to say aloud, she had put into writing per Weiss’ request. As the white haired musician had read the notes, her expression had been carefully neutral aside from a few twitches of her lips. Even now, Blake couldn’t tell if her ‘insight’ was useful or if Weiss was just going to throw it all away as soon as she was back in Vale. Either way, it  _ was _ a great song.

“I just hope they help,” Blake said with a shrug, looking over as Weiss pulled out her phone.

“We should exchange numbers, in case I have any questions.” Blake nodded quickly and pulled out her phone, keeping her inner fan in check as one of her favorite musicians was giving her a personal phone number. Weiss’ eyes glinted mischievously as she copied Blake’s number. “I also want to be able to text you about Ilia if I need to.”

“Blackmail?” Blake asked dryly and Weiss smiled innocently, the clever fox gone and replaced with a gentle lamb.

“Of course not. Leverage, please.”

Blake snorted and nodded her head, already coming up with at least a half dozen stories that would make Ilia blush with embarrassment. As they exchanged numbers, Yang finally put Ruby down, the dusting finished. “Okay,” Yang said, a sad haze coming over her as she set her sister on the ground, “you two should get going.”

“I wish we could stay longer,” Weiss said automatically, and Yang waved it away as quickly as she could. The thought would hurt, the fact that they were so willing to stay but couldn't. It had to hurt, Yang had been left behind by so many people before. How many of them had said the same thing? Weiss seemed to realize this and shrunk back a hair, while Yang forced a smile onto her face.

“You’ll be back, and besides keeping up with Blake is hard enough,” Yang teased and Blake let out a ‘Hey!’ of indignation which made them all laugh.

Then it was time for hugs. Weiss was quick and formal, like everything else about the woman, but there was a simple sincerity to it, something that was so intrinsically Weiss that Blake couldn't help but feel connected to her. Ruby, as Blake expected, was much more energetic with her hugs. She didn’t try to bowl Blake over like she did her sister, but she was able to run up to her for a hug. Blake had been getting better about how she reacted to Ruby’s energy. It hadn’t been easy, and a part of her still wanted to scramble away as Ruby jogged up to her, but she held her ground. If she was going to be seeing more of Ruby, and Blake planned to, then she needed to be able to put up with the exuberant young woman. A week wasn’t much practice, but it was a start. It was another rung in the ladder to recovery, and Blake felt ludicrously proud of herself for climbing that one step higher.

As Ruby and Weiss climbed into their rental car and drove off, waving all the while, Yang put on a brave face. She smiled back at them and waved as hard as her arms would allow, even after the car had turned down the hill and around the corner.

And then she broke down, sobbing as she leaned heavily into the doorframe. Blake immediately wrapped her up in a hug, holding her tight as she could and whispering soft assurances into her ear. Gods, Blake wondered, how many times had Yang broken down alone? How many visits had ended in misery that she had to endure with no one there to help her? Blake led Yang over to the bar, sitting her down and rubbing a soft pattern into her back. Yang’s muscles were tense, hunched up in her shoulders, and she had her head in her hands as she cried. 

Blake ran off to make some tea, then raced back to her partner, placing her hands on Yang’s shoulders gently. “Yang? Babe?”

“Y-yeah?” Yang sniffled between sobs, looking back at Blake with puffy, red eyes and splotchy cheeks. 

“You are so, so fucking brave,” Blake said, starting to gently massage Yang’s tense muscles. Within moments the soothing motions loosened up Yang’s tension and her shoulders dropped back to her side, inch by inch, as Blake kneaded away her worries. “And selfless,” Blake continued, “and compassionate, and proud, and...gods, so fucking wonderful.”

“Stop it,” Yang chided softly, “you’re gonna make me cry.” She wiped away a fat teardrop from her cheek and smiled sadly as she saw it.

“Okay. But it’s all true,” Blake whispered and Yang hummed in response, leaning forward to let Blake work more of her muscles. As she worked lower down Yang’s back, the blonde shivered and let out a soft moan which made Blake flush slightly.

“Gods, you’re good at that,” Yang said quietly.

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Blake said with a shrug.

“I’m gonna give you a massage later,” Yang mumbled, her shoulders going slack as she relaxed further, “Just like...all over.”

“All over?” Blake asked with a soft laugh, and then another as she saw Yang’s cheeks flood with red and a sheepish smile appear on her face.

“I-I mean, like, all over your back,” Yang stammered. She thought for a moment, then added, “And anywhere else you want.”

“Just the back is fine for tonight,” Blake said, digging into Yang’s shoulder blades and making the blonde grunt in satisfaction, “Everything else can come later. You sure you wanna open the bar tonight? We can just eat ice cream and watch bad movies instead.”

Yang pursed her lips in thought, then nodded slowly, her sniffles fading just a hair. “Okay, I like that idea. But only cause you’re so cute, babe.”

“Not as cute as you.”

Yang opened her mouth to respond, then let it fall closed again, smiling as she drank in comfort from Blake. It was a wonderful feeling for Blake to be able to give this kind of comfort to someone, even if it was just a massage. Comforting Yang wasn’t easy, Blake just didn’t know how to do it, but sometimes, she thought that she got it right. From Yang’s pleased grunts as the massage continued, right now was definitely one of those times.

By the end of the day, Yang had stopped crying entirely, though she remained subdued and lowkey throughout the night. The next day, Yang was smiling again and joking as they prepared the bar for that night. Three days after, it was like nothing had happened.

But it wasn't really gone, that hurt. It never was, Blake realized as she watched Yang recover. The pain was there, in the way that Yang would linger just for a moment on a picture of Ruby, or stare longingly at the green paneling that represented Vale. They were small moments, there and gone so quickly that Blake almost thought she imagined them, but over time a pattern had emerged. It was a delicate balancing act, really, where Yang could go for days without stopping and thinking about her home, everything that she had left behind by moving to Vacuo, but then it would all come crashing down. It was always the worst right after she talked with Ruby or their father, and Yang would stay up long after Blake some nights just staring into space in sorrow. In time, she would move on, slowly build her way up to being the friendly bartender that everyone knew and loved, and then it would hit a tipping point. Someone would mention something without realizing, she would have a dream, see a photograph in passing, and she would begin to miss her home once more. 

The bar was where Yang lived, of course. It was where she made her bed and hung her hat, but it wasn’t really her home. Sometimes, when she was barely awake or very drunk, she would mumble about how much she missed Vale, missed seeing the leaves in the fall or the Emerald Forest. She especially talked about how much she missed her hometown of Patch. 

“The-the desert’s great,” Yang mumbled one night as she was drifting off, the heavy smell of rum on her breath, “but it’s so...it’s not green. I like green. Issa good color.” Blake reached over and ran a hand through Yang’s hair, undoing the knots as gently as she could. “Black’s a good color too…” Yang murmured, then she drifted off with a small snore.

“So is gold,” Blake said softly and she gazed down at Yang, at the woman she loved more than anything else in the world, “I think it might be my favorite color.” Yang smiled in her sleep, as though she could hear what Blake was saying in her drunken slumber. 

It was after nights like that when Yang would call her sister or her father, maybe some of her other friends in Vale. Most of the time, the conversations almost made Blake frown. The way Yang talked to everyone back in Vale, with the exception of a few very special times, was as stilted and practiced as any interaction she had behind the bar. Just like the friendly barkeep, the fiery young woman from a small town was a mask, a layer of defenses. It made Blake wonder if she had ever seen the real Yang, but that was a foolish thought. Yang allowed herself to be so vulnerable around Blake that it couldn’t be anything but the most real version of herself. The Yang that Blake knew, the one behind all the layers and walls, was just as friendly, kind, and confident as any mask she put on, even more so because of how damn passionate Yang was. And she was so fucking scared, terrified of losing anything else. 

The realization only made Blake firmer in her decision to stay. Leaving had already been an impossibility, something that Blake could barely even consider, but after seeing Yang vulnerable and afraid Blake knew that she was in the right place. Even as the bar wasn’t home for Yang, it wasn’t home for Blake either. She had found a home in Yang, in that wonderful woman’s embrace and her smile. She could only hope that Yang would find the same in her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things were not 'just fine'.  
> Foreshadowing? In my fanfic? It's more likely than you think.
> 
> Hope that you enjoyed!  
> Comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jacubesilvora  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakobretheKitty


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trouble is only beginning for Blake and Yang as they settle in after Ruby and Weiss head home.

Three weeks after Ruby and Weiss’ visit, things had returned to normal, or as normal as they could be. Blake and Yang were busy with the bar as always, having now settled into a comfortable pace of work that left them with a good chunk of time each day to lounge around. Yang had kept up with her painting, often taking her truck out to the same spot multiple times a week to try and paint a landscape, though she insisted she was going to learn how to paint people just to paint a portrait of Blake. Blake took to reading up in the loft or riding around, trying to find other secluded spots to have quiet dinners outside. She had found plenty, but none of them were as good as the one Ruby had found first. 

The end of the first week had seen them jump into the game  _ World of Huntresses _ , though their progress with the game was slow. As Yang had said, it was a time sink and they didn’t have much time to spare. Still, Blake found the game was a lot of fun to mess around with, even if it did get overwhelming at times. She had taken to writing out the various mechanics and keeping notes of how they worked, just to stay on top of how her character behaved. She had a whole reaf of notes, and their characters were only level three. Yang was helpful, admitting sheepishly that a lot had changed in the years since she’d played, her calm advice carefully crafted to let someone who hadn’t played games since childhood enjoy something so complex.

In between the painting, the gaming, and the rides on Bumblebee, or ‘Bumlbeby’ as Yang had written it on a picture of the bike, they got to spend time with one another. It wasn’t always doing things together, though there was a lot of that, it was also sitting in the same room and silently doing things alone. It wasn’t the act of doing things together that they sought, it was their closeness, their connection that mattered most. In those small moments of quiet, when Blake could just see Yang out the corner of her eye, she never felt more at ease. 

Their relationship evolved in other ways as well, including some experimentation inspired by Blake’s favorite romance novels. Yang had been slow and hesitant at first, but she knew that she was safe with Blake and the same was true in reverse. They only did what both of them wanted. Neither of them would be forced into anything by the other. It was a level of respect that Blake treasured. 

One evening, after the bar had closed and they were still too wired to sleep, Blake sat awake in bed playing some  _ World of Huntresses _ and Yang was quietly reading one of the steamier novels Blake had bought in town. She glanced over at Blake’s screen, really Yang’s old laptop which still had stickers from her favorite shows as a teenager.

“You’re doing your abilities out of order, babe.”

“What? I just go up the ability bar, don’t I?” Blake asked, gesturing at the bar of class abilities at the bottom of the screen. 

“You have to go one, two, four, three, to get them to play nice together,” Yang said with a shrug and Blake scowled halfheartedly. It wasn’t her fault that the Rogue class was by far the most complicated of the main three classes, but she was getting the hang of it. Still, for someone who was a self admitted button masher, Yang sure had some strong opinions about how to play, though that was born out of her love for fighting games. Blake had taken much of her advice, albeit changing and shaping it into a way she could understand as she learned.

“That’s too much, I’m swapping them around. I just want to be able to go onetwothreefour, you know?”

“Oh, sure. Just drag the fourth ability over,” Yang said then went back to her book. They went back to their own activities for a while until Yang let out a choked moan. Blake looked over and saw that her girlfriend was in the middle of a particularly raunchy scene between the sorceress protagonist and her lady knight lover. She also saw that one of Yang’s hands was dipped conspicuously beneath the covers and her cheeks were flushed red.

“Feeling a little hot there, babe?” Blake teased and suddenly Yang wrenched her hand back above the covers, a sheepish smile spreading across her face. 

“I-I’m fine,” she stammered, but Blake could feel the heat coming off her, more than usual and mostly from her core. 

“You want some help cooling down?” Blake purred, already closing down her game. The two had spent enough such nights together that Blake had come to recognize when Yang was feeling aroused. The look of pure need and want on her face and the pleading expression in her eyes as she looked at Blake said it all tonight. 

“Please,” she whispered, almost drooling as Blake slid the straps of her shirt off her shoulders. Blake snickered as she rolled on top of Yang. It was going to be a long night, but at least they’d both sleep soundly.

And so, life carried on as they discovered more and more about one another. It was the little things that really tied them together, the way that Yang would help Blake brush out her hair each morning or fuss when Blake tried to lift something too heavy. Blake, in turn, would massage away all of Yang’s aching muscles at the end of the night and slowly began to teach her how to ride Bumblebee. Perhaps it wasn’t the grand, sweeping adventures of her novels, but that was fine with Blake. She’d had more than enough trouble in her life. A little bit of peace was just fine. 

The next few nights at the bar were just like normal. Well, almost normal. Vernal had come up a few times, griping about her competition, some mechanic named Mercury, and drinking them out of house and home. For how thin and wiry she was, it was staggering how much alcohol Vernal could put away. Tonight had been slow, almost relaxing compared to their normal pace of work, and Blake had already changed out of her work attire, tossing her phone, knife, and dirty apron in a pile near Yang’s bed. Near the end of the night, Vernal was leaning heavily on the bar and talking with Yang, while Blake finished cleaning some tables, her ears angled to listen in.

“And then, this motherfucker tells me that he can do better body work than I can! Gods, Yang, I tell ya, I’ve never wanted to punch Merc as badly as I did right then,” Vernal grumbled, then took another hefty swig of her beer. At the very least she wasn’t picky what she drank, so Yang liked to have Vernal get rid of all the shitty beer that no one else liked. 

“At least you know he’s lying. I’ve seen the stuff that Merc can do, it looks awful,” Yang said as she put another rack of glasses away and Vernal nodded quickly, almost choking on her beer.

“Thank you! He can fix tire alignments better than I can, I’ll admit that, but that’s it. He barely knows the chassis from the carburetor, I swear.” Blake tried to hold back a laugh, but it snuck out anyway and Vernal shot her a halfhearted glare. “Yang, your girlfriend’s eavesdropping again.” 

“It’s hard not to, you’re shouting,” Blake said as she finished cleaning and took a seat at the bar.

“I-I’m not-” Vernal shouted, then cut herself off and let out a long breath. When she spoke again, her voice was level and calm, almost mockingly so. “I’m not shouting, I’m enthusiastic.” Yang and Blake laughed at that, then Yang leaned on the bar and the two entwined fingers without even thinking about it. 

“Enthusiastic, yeah,” Yang drawled, gazing at Vernal over her proverbial glasses.

“Shut up,” Vernal grumbled, then downed her beer and placed it next to the impressive amount of beer bottles that she had been collecting all night. 

Blake took the moment of quiet to turn to Yang and say, “I’m all cleaned up out there, so it’s just the bar left, babe.”

“Appreciate it,” Yang said softly, lifting Blake’s hand and planting a small kiss upon it. Blake giggled, a sound that was so unlike her it was almost shocking. Still, Yang knew how to get her to make sounds like that. The blonde was just so dorky that Blake couldn’t help but fall into stitches whenever they hung out. “Drink?”

“Please.”

As Yang slid her a hard iced tea, even putting in a glass to be extra fancy, Vernal looked them both over with a raised eyebrow. “Gods, you two. When’s the wedding?” Yang flushed red and Blake choked out a laugh, covering her mouth with one hand. Vernal continued unabated, a victorious gleam in her eye. “Am I invited? Should I wear my fucking spats?” This was hardly the first time that Vernal had teased them about being together. She was supportive, of course, but she did like to rib them about it in as friendly a manner as she could. 

Yang scowled at Vernal as her blush faded and muttered, “Why don’t you go get yourself a partner and leave us alone?”

“No such thing for me,” Vernal said with a sharp laugh, “I love cars, not people.” 

The alcohol from her drink went to Blake’s head faster than she expected, no doubt due to being dehydrated from work, and she mumbled, “You should date a car. I’d ship it.”

“Oh my gods,” Vernal said derisively, giving Blake a mock look of contempt, “What kind of fucked up fangirl are you?” 

“That’s not-” Blake started to protest, a wave of embarrassment crashing over her.

Vernal laughed again and flipped more than enough Lien onto the counter to cover her tab. “Whatever. I’m gonna go make out with a car for a while.”

“Fuck you,” Blake groaned and Vernal cuffed her lightly on the shoulder in that friendly way she had. At first it had unnerved Blake, and Vernal had stopped altogether for a while. Now she had Blake’s permission to begin again, though these were more like taps rather than the full on punches she gave Yang’s shoulders. It was her strange way of saying goodbye and now that the boundaries had been set in place, Blake was more than happy to let her continue on with it.

“Night lovebirds,” Vernal said, waving as she left. There was the roar of an engine and then she was gone, back towards town.

Blake and Yang stayed up for a while longer, cleaning the bar and chatting about whatever came to mind. Eventually, near four in the morning, they were still at the bar, blearily shooting the shit and joking around.

“Never seen you drunk, Blake,” Yang said with a curious expression on her face, “What’s that like?” 

“No idea, I’ve never been drunk. I don’t plan to be either,” Blake said with a shrug and Yang nodded sagely.

“Good idea. I remember one time, well not really remember but I saw pictures of it, when I got so wasted I got it in my head that I was some kinda crime fighter,” Yang paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, and said, “So in Vale there’s this huge lake, right? It’s in a big ol’ park, lots of places to sit and go walking and whatever, and there’s a big hill that leads down to it. All the rich folk live on that hill, you get me?”

“Sure,” Blake said, trying to picture what Yang was talking about.

“There was this one guy who lives in Vale, Cardin, who’s a real prick. Bully, racist, asshole supreme. So I thought, I guess, what’s he love more than anything else? His car! He had this piece of shit hotrod thing in bright red, it looked awful but he poured money into it. Even better, he lives on that hill I was talking about.”

Blake’s mind put two and two together and she gasped to cover up a laugh. “Yang, you didn’t.”

“Sure did. Put that baby in neutral, locked the steering and let her go. I still have the pictures of that car sinking in the lake,” Yang said, her eyes happy and far away, “Gods, those are some good pictures. Never got caught for it either, nobody was willing to spill on who did it.” There was a moment of proud silence and then both of them burst out laughing, too tired to really know why it was so funny but it left them doubled over at the bar. “I’m a bonafide criminal, baby!” 

Blake snorted with laughter into her water, sending droplets everywhere which only made both her and Yang laugh harder. 

“You’re making a mess, babe,” Yang whined as she grabbed a small rag, a smile playing on her lips, “The bar’s even dirtier now.”

“You’re a big girl, you can clean it up,” Blake teased Yang lightly, dragging another laugh out of her. “Besides, I’m only laughing that hard because-”

There was a loud pop, so loud that it made Blake’s ears ring, and the mirror shattered. Blake threw herself to the floor, Yang only a second behind her, as more pops roared out, the window shredded as bullets slammed into the bar and the wall behind it. Blake scrambled away from the bar, worming her way to a table to take some kind of cover. Just as quickly as it had started, the gunfire ended. 

“My-my phone’s upstairs!” Yang choked out and Blake looked up to see Yang hurl herself over the side of the bar, and crash down hard on the ground below. She grimaced and struggled to her feet, glancing back to see Blake. “Get in the back and hide, I’ll call someone!” Blake couldn’t even speak, instinct taking over as she nodded quickly and began crawling as fast as she could for the door to the kitchen, Yang dashing upstairs. No sooner had Yang vanished up the stairs did the main door burst open, and Blake ducked behind the bar, rolling into cover as whoever this was broke into the room.

By the sound of the voices, it was very rapidly apparent who had done the shooting. 

“Melanie, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Miltia’s normally cool and collected voice was gone, replaced with fear and shock, “You said you just going to flash your piece at them!” 

“These bitches need to learn a lesson,” Melanie snarled and Miltia gasped, and it sounded like she took a step backwards. “Go upstairs and find them. They’re stupid enough to still be in here.”

“They’re gonna call the cops, Mel! Junior can get us off for burglary and blackmail and shit, but this is insane! We have to go!”

“Miltia!” Melanie snapped and Miltia let out a short screech, a sound that rended Blake’s heart with familiarity. It was a sound of betrayal, when someone you trusted showed their true, ugly colors. Melanie let out a long breath and said. “Go check upstairs. We’ll be out of here in a few minutes.” Miltia shuffled off with the rapid footsteps of terrified obedience, all but sprinting up the stairs.

Blake needed to move, she needed to get somewhere else than behind the bar, or get her knife, or  _ something _ but her body wouldn’t respond. It was like she had frozen in place as that horrible whisper screamed and howled at her incoherently, laughing at her impending doom. Gods, what were the twins going to do? Blake’s mind swirled with possibilities, each one more horrible than the last, even as she heard Melanie’s footsteps grow louder. She couldn't move, she couldn’t think. The only thing she could do was rock back and forth in fear of what they were going to do to Yang. Melanie’s blood was up. She was just as likely to threaten them as shoot them both. 

“Hey there, kitty cat.” Blake snapped her head to the right, locking eyes with Melanie and the pistol she rested casually on the bar. “Get up.” Blake couldn’t move, her muscles wouldn’t respond even as she screamed at herself to just comply, to stand and get this over with. Melanie rolled her eyes and her hand snapped out, wrapping up Blake’s hair and dragging her into the center of the bar. “Not so tough now are you?”

There was a loud series of crashes and a shout of surprise from upstairs, the sound too short to make out who it was. Blake’s eyes started to water, she started to cry. Gods, they were going to hurt her! They were going to hurt Yang! She had to do something but she couldn’t get her body to respond, like she was encased in steel.

“Miltia? You okay?” Melanie called up the stairs.

After a long moment, Miltia shouted back, “I’m good! I found Yang, we’re coming down now.”

“You hear that kitty cat?” Melanie said, kneeling next to Blake and resting the barrel of her pistol underneath Blake’s chin, “We’ve got your little girlfriend now.” She gestured at the scar on her cheek, still red and weeping even now, “I’m gonna carve your face up real pretty for her. I’m gonna carve my name into your fucking forehead. And little ol’ Yang’s just gonna have to watch. You like the sound of that?” Before Blake could respond, before Melanie could continue, Yang and Miltia came stumbling downstairs. Melanie sneered at Blake and turned to see her sister, only to let out a strangled cry of shock. “M-Miltia?”

Blake looked around Melanie to see Miltia in a headlock, Yang’s powerful arms keeping her in place. In the other hand, Yang had Blake’s knife and was pressing it firmly to Miltia’s throat. Maybe Melanie couldn’t see it, but Blake could see Yang’s knees quaking even as she put on a bold face and growled, “Get the fuck out of my bar.”

“Let her go,” Melanie squeaked, all of her confidence vanished in the wake of her sister being threatened. Yang narrowed her eyes and pressed harder with the knife, a drop of blood slowly trickling down Miltia’s throat.

“Drop the gun and get out.”

Melanie started as though she suddenly remembered that she had a gun at all, and immediately raised it to point at Yang. Her aim was wild, her hand shaking uncontrollably even as she tried to sneer. “I’ll fucking kill you. Let her go.” Yang ducked behind Miltia, using her as a shield, and Melanie gasped, her aim dropping just a hair.

Suddenly Blake’s body responded to her commands and she screeched, launching herself at Melanie. She slammed her whole body into her, tackling the woman to the ground, her gun flying away as she fell. Melanie screamed and squirmed, trying to get out from under Blake who was fighting to pin her to the ground. She jerked an elbow back, nailing Blake in the temple and sending her reeling, but Blake was quick on the recovery and dove after her as she tried to crawl away. As Melanie tried to escape, Blake crawled up her back, snarling as she went, and grabbed both of Melanie’s arms. She wrenched her wrists backwards and pinned them to the woman’s back, even as Melanie howled in pain. The woman bucked and wriggled, trying to escape, but to no avail. Blake’s grip was iron and she leaned down to growl into Melanie’s ear,

“Stop fighting or I’m gonna bash your face into the fucking floor.” Melanie went rigid, breathing quickly and heavily. Blake took the time to plant her knee on Melanie’s arms, trapping it in place and freeing up her own. She looked over at Yang, who was staring aghast and said, “Yang? You have your phone?” Yang passed it over to her, and Blake caught it in her free hand. She scrolled through the contacts until she found the name ‘Sun Wukong’ and dialed. After only a moment, a tired, sleepy voice answered.

“Yang? What’s up?”

“It’s-It’s Blake,” Blake said, her fury vanishing and replaced by weariness, “We got attacked. They-they’re-”

“I’m on the way,” Sun said, and Blake could hear the sound of him throwing aside covers and wrenching open drawers. “Are you safe? Are the assailants still around?” Someone asked something in the background and Sun said, “Yang’s place was attacked, Neptune. I’m heading over there now. Yes, of course you can come!” 

“We-we’re safe,” Blake mumbled, and glanced down at Melanie, then over to Miltia, “We’ve got them kinda...tied up? I guess?”

“You...you took them down?” Sun asked softly, and Blake grunted in agreement. “Gods. Stay where you are, don’t let them do anything. We’ll be there soon.” He groaned, then said, “Yes, Neptune, I  _ know _ it takes three hours to get there, I’ll make it two!” 

“We’ll be here,” Blake said quietly.

“Don’t hang up, Neptune will be talking with you the whole time,” Sun said, then the voice of Neptune came over the phone instead.

“Blake? Are you and Yang all right? No one’s injured?” 

Blake looked around, all the fear and anxiety turning her normally sharp mind into a grinding machine, “One of them got a little cut. Yang and I are okay.” Yang let out a choked laugh at that, and the knife fell away. Blake stiffened at the possibility of Miltia trying to make a bid for freedom, but all she did was collapse into Yang and let out a soft sob. As Blake looked over, she gasped as she saw Miltia had tears running down her cheeks, staring in abject horror at her sister.

Neptune stayed on the line with Blake until he and Sun showed up, along with a few other Vacuan rangers and cops from town. They rushed in as methodically as they could and suddenly the place was a hive of activity as the Malachite Twins were loaded into the back of a squad car while Yang and Blake were checked for injuries. In the car, Melanie tried to smile at her sister confidently, and Miltia turned away with a disdainful snarl. Blake watched it as though it were sped up, numbly taking it all in as she tried to conceptualize what had happened, what would happen next. One problem was gone, another would take its place. That was the way of the world. Nothing was ever truly over.

But then as Yang wrapped her up in a hug, nuzzling her head into Blake’s shoulder, the despair began to lift away. Maybe things would work out, for a little while. At least Yang was safe, and they were together. That was what mattered most.

Sun and Neptune stayed parked outside the bar all night, ushering Blake and Yang to bed. Sleep never came that night, it couldn't. Every sound made Blake shoot upright in terror, every subtle motion made Yang snap her eyes around the room, one arm across Blake's chest protectively.

The bar didn’t open that week. Everyone in town knew that  _ something _ had happened, but the details were kept as secret as possible per Yang’s request. ‘The last thing I need is more trouble,’ she had said and so Sun and Neptune kept the files on the attack in Vacuo. 

Blake lay awake in bed that Friday, trying in vain to read a book and keep her mind off the constant, gnawing fear in her belly. She felt a shuffling next to her, glancing over to see Yang roll onto her side. Blake forced a smile onto her face and murmured, “Can’t sleep?”

“Nah,” Yang said softly, “I’m worried about Junior.”

“The guy the twins work for?”

“And the guy I rent this place from. He loves those two, like, it’s creepy how loyal they are to each other.”

Blake was silent for a moment, then asked, “You think he’ll do something?”

“I’m betting on it,” Yang muttered, burying her head against Blake’s side. “I just want this to be over.”

No matter how afraid Blake was, no matter how much her gut churned and quaked with horror at what had happened and the possibilities of what might happen, she knew that breaking down was the last thing Yang needed to see her do. Right now, Yang needed strength, she needed someone to rely on. Blake needed to be that person. “We’ll figure it out, babe. Sun and Neptune are right outside, and you trust them. Besides,” she reached down and stroked a lock of hair behind Yang’s ear, “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

Yang smiled softly, a wave of happiness despite her pain and fear, “Right back at you, babe.” They stayed awake for a while longer, talking about anything but how scared they were. Eventually, wrapped in one another’s arms, they managed to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter left! I should probably edit the next story...  
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jacubesilvora  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakobretheKitty

**Author's Note:**

> The start of a new story! I've had this one ready for a while, and I'm happy with it. It's going to be a lot shorter than Here in the Abyss, about a third of the length. Also, chapter lengths will vary. I figured out the breaks after I finished writing it out.  
> No clever chapter titles, I used all those on Here in the Abyss.  
> This is going to be part one of a pair of fics in the Bikers and Bartenders series, where Yang and Blake switch which role they have and we see what happens!   
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Comments are always appreciated!


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